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Cottage pie on a plate with peas.
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5 from 8 votes

Easy Cottage Pie Recipe

An easy cottage pie recipe made with 500g of minced beef (ground beef) in a thick rich gravy, topped with creamy mashed potato. Serves 4 but easily doubled!
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 752kcal
Author Beth Sachs

Equipment

  • Chopping Board
  • Vegetable Peeler
  • Knife
  • Saucepan
  • Potato Peeler
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Shallow Casserole
  • Oven Proof Baking Dish

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

For the mash

  • 1 kg White Potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 100 g Butter cubed
  • 100 ml Milk
  • ½ teaspoon Salt

For the beef layer

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 Carrot peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme
  • 500 g Minced Beef
  • 60 ml Red Wine
  • 350 ml Beef Stock
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°c (180 fan/ Gas 6/ 400F)
  • To make the mashed potato, place the peeled and diced potato into a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
    1 kg White Potatoes
  • Drain the mashed potatoes and return to the pan over a low heat for 1 minute to allow any moisture to evaporate. Mash with a potato masher then add the cubed butter and mash until incorporated. Finally, beat in the milk and salt with a wooden spoon.
    100 g Butter, 100 ml Milk, ½ teaspoon Salt
  • For the beef layer, heat the oil in a shallow casserole or frying pan and cook the onion and carrot until soft. This should take about 4 minutes.
    1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot
  • Stir in the flour, tomato puree, and thyme.
    1 tablespoon Plain Flour, 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 1 teaspoon Thyme
  • Turn up the heat and add the minced beef. Stir with a wooden spoon until brown.
    500 g Minced Beef
  • Pour in the wine and allow it to evaporate.
    60 ml Red Wine
  • Add the beef stock and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
    350 ml Beef Stock, ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
  • Spoon the minced beef into a baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with the mashed potato.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Notes

Expert Tips:
  • If your beef gravy is still a little runny after 30 minutes of simmering, add a tablespoon of beef gravy granules to quickly thicken it up.
  • Use leftover roast beef in place of the minced beef.
  • For an extra crispy top, place the pie under the grill for a few minutes before serving.
 
Variations:
  • Add peas or sweetcorn to the minced beef.
  • Add a frozen vegetable mix into the beef gravy. It's a great way of sneaking extra veggies into kids.
  • Add a clove of garlic and diced celery stalk (not for the purists amongst you!).
  • Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese over the mash before baking.
  • Swap Worcestershire sauce for soy sauce, or a tablespoon of brown sauce.
  • Make a slow cooker cottage pie in your crockpot.
  • Make four individual cottage pies rather than one large one.
 
Storage:
Store: The cottage pie can be made up to the point of baking and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cooked leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Leftover cottage pie can be reheated in the microwave or oven (180c) until piping hot.
Freeze: Wrap the cottage pie (baked or unbaked) in two layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before baking or reheating.
 
Nutrition:
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
 
Nutrition Facts
Easy Cottage Pie Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
752
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
42
g
65
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Trans Fat
 
2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
14
g
Cholesterol
 
92
mg
31
%
Sodium
 
885
mg
38
%
Potassium
 
1747
mg
50
%
Carbohydrates
 
59
g
20
%
Fiber
 
7
g
29
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
35
g
70
%
Vitamin A
 
2653
IU
53
%
Vitamin C
 
54
mg
65
%
Calcium
 
139
mg
14
%
Iron
 
6
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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