Traditional cottage pie with a rich meaty sauce, topped with creamy mashed potato, crisped up to golden perfection. Check out my tip for ensuring you also get a jug of delicious gravy to pour on top.
When Chris and I were first dating (over 22 years ago!), we had a tiny little flat. One night I made us cottage pie for dinner and we put the leftovers in the fridge.
The next morning, I found him frying up the leftovers in a pan – in a big mixed up mush. He fried it for ages – till it was crisp all over. Then he placed it between two slices of buttered bread and smothered it with ketchup.
Who does that?!!!
He’s pretty well-rounded when it comes to food and cooking. But that was definitely one of the weirder moments, watching him eat that ketchup covered monstrosity.
He still does it now. It’s a thing.
If we have the cottage pie on the table, anyone looking to scoop out the last portion is given a stern look. That’s Chris’s weird breakfast portion.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Put the potatoes onto boil for the mash, then while they’re boiling, fry up onions, celery, carrot, minced beef, seasoning and a good dash of Worcestershire sauce. Once the meat has browned, add in plenty of beef stock.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. I use a potato ricer (<–affiliate link) for perfect lump-free mashed potato. We add flavour and creaminess to the mashed potato by stirring in salt, pepper, cream and butter.
- Thicken the meat sauce by stirring in a cornstarch-and-water-mixture. Then use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and vegetables, leaving the majority of the liquid behind in the pan (don’t worry, there’ll still be enough gravy in the pie itself if you use a slotted spoon). This will be your gravy.
- Spoon the mashed potato on top of the meat in blobs.
- Then use a fork to join up the blobs and cover the meat. Use the fork to ruffle up the mash too – the more texture you have, the more crispy bits your mashed potato will have. Place in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Pro Tip
I add in a lot more stock then you think you might need – this is so you have enough liquid for gravy later.
Just before it’s ready, reheat the gravy and serve the cottage pie with your favourite sides.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
I love to serve mine with peas and pickled red cabbage (not forgetting that lovely meaty gravy). Here are some other great options:
- Easy Spring Greens
- Steamed Vegetables (this post show you how to steam a variety of different vegetables in one steam-stacker)
- Or for something a little different try my simple Roasted Radishes
Now the question is: Are you going to be making a cottage pie butty with the leftovers? If you are, I’ve left some instructions in the notes section of the recipe card below.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make the cottage pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate, along with the gravy. It should be fine in the fridge for up to a day.
Place in the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat it starting to bubble up at the sides.
Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot.
I find the mashed potato can be a little watery after freezing, but so long as the pie is fully defrosted before reheating, the pie should be fine after cooking and crisping up in the oven.
As above make the cottage pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and freeze, along with the gravy.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ensure it’s fully defrosted throughout before reheating), then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides.
Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot – it may need a splash of water and a whisk to remove any lumps (or you could sieve it).
If I’m making a vegetarian version, I use quorn mince (or similar alternative) with lots of very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian stock – such as Knorr vegetable stock pots. You may need to adjust the seasoning, as some vegetable stocks can be quite salty.
Other variation ideas:
- Top with cheesy mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use sweet potato instead of regular potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy version. This tastes even better with sweet potato mash on top.
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Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 900 g (2 lbs) floury potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 450 g (1 lb) minced beef 12-20% fat is recommended for the best flavour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) beef stock (boiling water plus 2 or 3 stock cubes is fine
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 heaped tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
To Serve:
- green veg I like peas and broccoli
- pickled red cabbage
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.900 g (2 lbs) floury potatoes
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions, celery, and carrot on medium heat for five minutes until they start to soften.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large onion, 1 stick celery, 1 carrot
- Add the minced beef and cook until browned – breaking up any pieces as you go. Add in half the salt and pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, and stock (see pro tip 1). Simmer for 5 minutes.450 g (1 lb) minced beef, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) beef stock
- By this time, the potatoes should be cooked. Drain the potatoes and mash using a potato ricer. Add the cream, butter, and remaining salt and pepper and mix together.60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream, 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
- Mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with three tbsp of cold water and stir into the simmering beef mixture to thicken the sauce (you may need to add a little more if you like it thicker).1 heaped tbsp cornflour
- Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the beef mixture and place into a 7”x 9” (18cmx23cm) baking dish. This should leave most of the gravy behind in the pan.
- Top the beef with the mashed potatoes (see pro tip 2), and flatten out with a spoon. Rough up the top of the mash with a fork (so you get nice crispy bits).
- Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the mashed potato is golden brown. Heat up the gravy, then serve the cottage pie with the gravy, green veg and some pickled red cabbage.green veg, pickled red cabbage
Video
Notes
.Can I make it gluten free?
Yes – this is already a gluten free recipe – providing you use gluten free stock.Can I make it ahead?
Yes, make the cottage pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate, along with the gravy. It should be fine in the fridge for up to a day. Place in the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat it starting to bubble up at the sides. Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot.Will it freeze?
I find the mashed potato can be a little watery after freezing, but so long as the pie is fully defrosted before reheating, the pie should be fine after cooking and crisping up in the oven. As above make the cottage pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and freeze, along with the gravy. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ensure it’s fully defrosted throughout before reheating), then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the meat is starting to bubble up at the sides. Heat the gravy in a pan until piping hot – it may need a splash of water and a whisk to remove any lumps (or you could sieve it).Can I make a vegetarian version?
Yes. If I’m making a vegetarian version, I use quorn mince (or similar alternative) with lots of very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian stock – such as Knorr vegetable stock pots. You may need to adjust the seasoning, as some vegetable stocks can be quite salty.Other variation ideas:
- Top with cheesy mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use sweet potato instead of regular potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy version. This tastes even better with sweet potato mash on top.
Chris’s crazy leftover cottage pie butty instructions
- Cool a leftover portion of cottage pie, then cover and refrigerate.
- The next morning heat 1.5 tablespoon of neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the cottage pie portion. Flatten down with a spatula (yes the minced beef and mash will meld together – that’s the idea apparently) and allow to cook for 4-6 minutes, until crispy and browned underneath.
- Flip it over with a spatula, sprinkle with a salt and pepper, then fry again for 3-4 further minutes, giving it a squash with the spatula, until golden brown and fully heated through. Turn off the heat and break up the cottage pie a little with the spatula.
- Butter two slices of thick white bread and load them up with the fried cottage pie (note: ‘butty style’ is to load up one piece of bread with cottage pie and fold it over, then repeat with the other piece of bread. ‘Sandwich style’ is to load up one piece of bread, and place another piece of bread on top, then slice it in half).
- Smother the cottage pie with ketchup before folding over the bread (or placing the second piece of bread on top). Add extra ketchup to the plate for dipping purposes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first published November 2028. Updated in Feb 2021 with new photos and video, then Feb 2025 with some housekeeping.
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Nicky, this is such a good, satisfying, and filling cottage pie! It’s easy to make and it is just so good! I visited London and the Cotswolds last year in August but never did get cottage pie. Your recipe was my first exposure and I love it! Only thing I added was a couple of shakes of garlic powder on the meat filling as it cooked. This one is going into my recipe binder for sure!
OMG this was really delish! I used beef/red wine stock pot, and added a little tomato/chilli pesto I had left in the fridge, and topped with cheesy mash! Otherwise all as recipe- could definitely taste the Worcestershire sauce. We both went back for seconds!!! Thank you – will be making again soon.
I would make this just to have the leftovers butty, delish
Hi, I have made this recipe twice and it’s simple and there is different variations.