Cottage Pie Recipe | Cooking with Nana Ling

If cosiness and contentment were edible, they’d be Cottage Pie. A piping hot dish of Cottage Pie on a chilly evening has brought comfort for generations, and it only takes minutes to put one together and get it in the oven.

What is Cottage Pie?

Cottage Pie is a pie without the pastry shell and generally consists of minced meat and chopped vegetables topped with mashed potato and cooked in a casserole dish.

The dish is thought to have originated in Britain in the 18th century as a frugal use of leftovers.

The Cottage Pie Recipe I use and am sharing here is probably a bit less frugal – it includes an egg and cheese in the ingredient list – but it’s still an economical meal. And the little extras make it amazingly delicious.

What is the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie?

They are both very similar dishes, with the key difference being the type of meat used. Cottage Pie is made with beef mince while Shepherd’s Pie calls for lamb mince.

How to make Cottage Pie

You’ll need a casserole dish (of approximately 2 litre capacity) or 4 smaller dishes for individual servings.

Start by pre-heating your oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).

Making the minced meat layer

Fry the onion in oil over low heat until translucent.

Add the beef mince and increase heat to med-high. Cook until browned, chopping mince as it cooks.

Add the carrot and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add the beef stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

TIP: Add a teaspoon of flour mixed into a tablespoon of water towards the end of the simmering time to thicken the sauce if necessary.

Making the potato layer

Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes.

Boil (adding the stock cube to the water) until tender.

Drain the potatoes and then add the butter, egg and 2/3 of the cheese while mashing the potatoes.

Making Cottage Pie

Pour the cooked minced meat into the casserole dish.

Next, spoon potato mash over the top, smoothing to ensure the mince layer is completely covered.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Cook in the oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoying Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie can be enjoyed hot or cold and can be kept for up to a few days in the fridge and re-heated.

I love it served piping hot, straight from the oven, with Tomato Sauce on the side.

You can freeze leftover Cottage Pie for up to three months. Wrap well before freezing.

More recipes for comfort and contentment

If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like my recipes for Egg and Bacon Pie, Meatballs, Pumpkin Soup, Chilli Con Carne, Spag Bol and Curried Sausages.