This hearty casserole is the ultimate comfort food all baked until browned and bubbly.
Ground beef and veggies are cooked in a rich brown gravy and then baked under a topping of cheesy mashed potatoes.
It’s a classic cozy favorite that’s so simple to make, it’ll be on constant rotation year-round!
What is Cottage Pie?
- Cottage pie is a meat and vegetable-filled pie topped with mashed potatoes and baked.
- Prep a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Set it out 30 minutes before baking. Or, once assembled, let cottage pie cool. Wrap and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Let the pie thaw overnight and bake for 45 minutes.
- Quick and easy, homemade cottage pie is a perfectly portable dish! Serve with a slice of fresh Irish soda bread for sopping up the savory sauce.
Cottage Pie vs Shepherd’s Pie
What’s the difference between cottage pie vs. shepherd’s pie? It’s the meat! While many of us make this dish with ground beef and call it Shepherd’s pie, a true classic Shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb while a cottage pie is made with ground beef or another type of ground meat.
Ingredients for Cottage Pie
MEAT Ground beef is affordable and readily available (and it makes this hearty dish so delish)! If using ground turkey or chicken, we like to add extra seasonings or even beef bouillion for flavor.
VEGETABLES Savory veggies like onions, carrots, celery, and frozen peas are just the basics! Feel free to add any other veggies or save time and use a bag of mixed vegetables.
POTATOES Cheesy mashed potatoes are the perfect topper. This cottage pie recipe is a great way to enjoy leftover mashed potatoes, packaged scalloped potatoes, or even instant mash.
Cheddar cheese has a bold flavor that complements the other ingredients but leave it out if you’d prefer!
SAUCE Cottage pie is famous for its rich savory sauce! Beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and a handful of seasonings are all it takes to make a savory sauce. However, a package of gravy mix or a can of tomato soup (we do this in our shortcut shepherd’s pie) will also make a great hearty sauce.
How to Make Cottage Pie
This comforting casserole is a delicious meal with just a few simple and cheap ingredients.
- Prepare mashed potatoes.
- While potatoes cook, brown ground beef & onion per the recipe below.
- Add veggies and sauce ingredients. Simmer until thickened.
- Stir in peas and top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake until golden and bubbly.
Quicker Clean Up
Brown the ground beef in an oven-proof 10-inch skillet. Top it with the potatoes and bake it right in the skillet for fewer dishes to wash. No oven-proof skillet, no problem! Use a 2 to 2 1/2 qt baking dish or casserole dish.
Tips for a Great Cottage Pie
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- If time allows, chill the meat layer for at least 20 minutes before adding the potatoes, this will keep the layers separated.
- Use thawed frozen veggies in place of fresh, no need to chop or cook them.
- For a quick version, use a packet of gravy mix and simmer until thickened or replace the sauce with a can of condensed tomato soup (no water needed).
- If you’d like it extra saucy, you can increase the flour and sauce ingredients.
- Bake cottage pie on a parchment-covered rimmed baking sheet in case it spills over.
- Keep leftover cottage pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze portions in covered containers, thaw overnight, and reheat as desired.
Got Ground Beef?
- Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole – a family fave!
- Ground Beef and Rice Casserole – full of flavor
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe – with a zesty topping
- Ground Beef Stroganoff – a 30-minute meal
- The Best Chili Recipe – freezer-friendly
Did your family love this Cottage Pie? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots ½ inch diced
- 2 ribs celery ½ inch diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅔ cup peas
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper each
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅓ cup warm milk
- 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded, optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large pot of cold salted water.
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Bring the potatoes to a gentle boil and cook 13-16 minutes or until fork tender.
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While potatoes are cooking, combine ground beef and onion in a large skillet, brown until no pink remains.
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Add carrots, celery, and garlic to the ground beef mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
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Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
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Simmer for 20 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Remove bay leaf, add peas, and season with salt and pepper.
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Drain the potatoes well and mash until smooth. Stir in the butter. Add warmed milk a little bit at a time until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy, you may not need all of the milk. Stir the cheese into the potatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Top the meat mixture with the potatoes and place in the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Notes
- If time allows, chill the meat layer for at least 20 minutes before adding the potatoes, this will keep the layers separated.
- Use thawed frozen veggies in place of fresh, no need to chop or cook them.
- For a quick version, use a packet of gravy mix and simmer until thickened or replace the sauce with a can of condensed tomato soup (no water needed).
- If you’d like it extra saucy, you can increase the flour and sauce ingredients.
- Bake cottage pie on a parchment-covered rimmed baking sheet in case it spills over.
- Keep leftover cottage pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze portions in covered containers, thaw overnight, and reheat as desired.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Irish
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Really good recipe! Toddler approved. I needed to cook my veggies a little longer…they came out a tad crunchy. I might cook them before the beef next time. I also cheated and used freeze dried mash which I added cheese to… don’t tell anyone ;) It worked just fine and was a big time saver if that’s what you’re looking for.
your secret is safe here
Really decent recipe, gravy was nice. Not many changes. My wife liked it quite well and was very complimenting. She said it is a keeper. I used canned carrots and peas at the end and it was really good. So, no corned beef and cabbage on St. Paddies day. Cottage Pie is the way to go. Happy St. Paddies day 2024.
Thank you for another yummy recipe. I did forget to put the peas in but didn’t even notice till we were have way through dinner and my husband was asking what all the ingredients were. Will add them next time. The leftovers are in the oven reheating now and we’re looking forward to dinner.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Cathy!
Hi,
First, love your recipes. EVERY SINGLE ONE has been a huge success!
One of the above notes mentions modifying the flour and sauce ingredients to make it a little more saucy…what measurements would you suggest…approximately?
Thank you so much for your kind words Aldon! If you’d like to add extra sauce, I would suggest using the print button and increasing the servings to 8 or 10, this will give you the measurements for just the sauce ingredients (including broth, flour, and the seasoning additions). I hope that helps, let us know how it goes!
The result was amazing! Another hit! I may add a little extra potato next time…honestly, where’s the bad in that…amIright…
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yay, so happy it was a hit, Gigi!
Just made it and ate it. Really good, thanks for the recipe.
made it just the way the recipe called for, except I added frozen lima beans. Perfect!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe Somejuan!
Holly, I’ve been making your recipes for a couple of weeks now. So glad I found your site. We’ve loved each one we tried. The best thing is they are recipes that I have most of the ingredients for in my pantry. Love that. We had the Cottage Pie tonight – delicious.
Thank you.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Mary!
Love this! I will add a small amount of mushroom soup to the cooked beef instead of wochester, etc to make it a little more savory! Thanks! PS LOVE your site and recipes!
That sounds delicious MaryEllen! I can’t wait for you to try it!
I made this for my British husband. He tucked into it like Oliver Twist asking for more. Followed the recipe exactly. I did drag a fork across the potatoes, brushed on melted butter and turned on the broiler at the end. Thanks! Love your recipes.
Could you use diced leftover chuck roast from pot roast instead of burger?. My mom made a 13×9 pie with leftovers from fridge and crust. it was my favorite thing she made always better with leftovers than fresh ingredients.
Sure you can!
In addition to the recipe being easy, i had all the ingredients on-hand: win-win! Oh, and delicious, of course!
So glad you loved it Caroline!
Delicious! I have to confess, I’m not the best cook and never attempted a recipe like this but you made it easy to follow and the results were scrumptious! I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Sharon!
This was a great recipe for those of us who cook for two. I made the whole recipe, but half the potatoes. Then spit the meat mixture into two smaller casseroles, one to eat and one to freeze. I’ll make the mashed potato topping fresh when I thaw the frozen half for another quick and delicious meal.
That’s a great tip Jackie!
Made this in a cast iron skillet, with thawed veggies. Could’ve used more potatoes, possibly since I didn’t use the cheese. But the flavor was sooo good!
I have tried several other Cottage Pie recipes in the past, but this one beats all by a long shot. My husband instantly remarked that this is a keeper. Followed your directions to a T (almost) but added a few squirts of ketchup to counteract the Worcestershirer Sauce, which I am not too crazy about. I did add the 2T of it and then used the ketchup. My husband would have been perfectly happy without the ketchup. I use your recipes frequently and will now continue to do so more often. Thank you for a dish that was all healthy, no artificial ingredients, fresh veggies, and a GREAT taste that I can make earlier in the day and enjoy in the evening.
So happy you loved this recipe, Onalee! ❤️
Put all this in a scooped out potato peel and top it with bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese.
That sounds delish Len!
Excited to try your recipe. I never had the cheese in the potatoes but we’ll try that. We like new things, even though my husband usually doesn’t know. All he knows is, he likes it.