Cottage pie is a traditional dish of savory ground beef in rich gravy, covered with mixed vegetables, topped with whipped potatoes. Bake it in the oven until the potatoes are golden brown, and the sauce is bubbly and delicious. Cottage pie is the same as a shepherd’s pie, however it uses ground beef instead of lamb. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s perfect at the end of a cold winter day.
Cottage Pie Recipe
Cottage Pie
Equipment
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- large stockpot
- spider strainer
- potato ricer – with a fine grate
- medium skillet
- slotted spoon
- colander
- medium glass bowl
- large glass bowl
- measuring cups
- deep casserole dish
- piping bag – with a large star tip
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 6 medium russet potatoes
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup milk – divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt – more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper – more to taste
- 2 tbsp butter – for the mash
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tbsp butter – to be melted and drizzled on top
For the vegetables
- 2 cups mixed vegetables – thawed
For the ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion – diced
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- 2 sprigs thyme – minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 7 ounces dry red wine
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
For the mashed potatoes
- Peel the potatoes, and cut them in half or into equal size portions6 medium russet potatoes
- Separate two egg yolks from their whites. Add the yolks to a mixing bowl. Discard the egg whites, or keep them in the refrigerator for another use.2 egg yolks
- Whisk in half of the milk, plus the salt and pepper. Set aside.1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Do not over-boil the potatoes or they will fall apart. This should take about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes to a large mixing bowl and allow them to steam-out for about 5 minutes.
- When the potatoes are somewhat dry, pass them through a ricer with a small grate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the mash. Gently toss the butter into the mash until the butter is melted and incorporated.2 tbsp butter
- Add the egg yolk mixture.
- Heat up the remaining half of the milk in the microwave, then add it to the mash and toss together.
- Toss in the sour cream. The mash should have a light, airy texture at this point.2 tbsp sour cream
For the vegetables
- Thaw two cups of frozen vegetables, and set aside.2 cups mixed vegetables
For the ground beef
- Add olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, and spread it out in the pan.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 pound lean ground beef
- Thoroughly brown the ground beef, then remove it to a colander. Allow the ground beef to drain as much oil as possible.
- Add the onions to the pan, plus 2 tbsp of butter. Sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme, and sauté until aromatic.1 medium yellow onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 sprigs thyme, 2 tbsp butter
- Add the tomato paste to the skillet.1 tbsp tomato paste
- Add the browned ground beef back to the skillet.
- Toss it all together and cook for a few of minutes.
- Adds the Worcestershire sauce.3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Add the red wine. Stir it all together, and scrape up any crusty bits from the bottom of the pan (the fond).7 ounces dry red wine
- Add the flour. Toss it all together and cook for a few minutes.1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Add hot chicken stock.2 cups chicken stock
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a fast simmer.
- Add the Dijon mustard. Simmer for about 30 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about half, and the sauce should be thick and glossy.1 tsp Dijon mustard
Putting it all together
- Add the contents of the skillet to a casserole dish with high sides. Press down the meat with the back of a spoon so that it is flat and level.
- Add the mixed vegetables directly on top of the ground beef.
- Add the potatoes to a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe out the potatoes evenly, covering all of the vegetables. Pipe out rosettes of mashed potato until all of the potatoes have been extruded.
- Melt the last bit of butter in the microwave, then carefully drizzle the melted butter over all of the potatoes, allowing it to get into all of the crevices.2 tbsp butter
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Add the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The edges of the potato rosettes should be nicely browned. Allow the cottage pie to rest for about 5 minutes or until it has cooled enough to serve.
- Serve in a flat bowl, with plenty of room to build lots of perfect bites. Enjoy!
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Cottage vs Shepherd’s
A cottage pie is a traditional British dish made of ground beef, vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven. It’s the same as shepherd’s pie, but uses ground beef instead of ground lamb. Believed to have originated in U.K., it is also popular in Ireland, and of course the U.S.A.
Tips
Potato Texture is Important
The potato part of this recipe is exactly the same as Duchess Potatoes. The potatoes should be finely textured, but not over-mashed. Over-mashed potatoes are starchy and gummy, and will flatten and lose their shape in the oven. The potatoes should be light and airy, and stand up in peaks.
Use a Piping Bag
Use a piping bag with a large star-tip to extrude the potatoes onto the top of the vegetables. The potatoes should have lots of ridges and crevices. When you drizzle melted butter, it will get into the crevices, and the ridges will bake up golden-brown. If you don’t have a piping bag, carefully spoon the whipped potatoes onto the top, then use a fork to create ridges in the potatoes.
Gravy
Reduce the gravy until it is thick and glossy. If it is too liquid, it will boil in the oven. The steam will make the bottom of the potatoes mushy. You want just enough moisture in the gravy to hold the ground beef loosely together.
Vegetables
Corn, peas, carrots, lima beans, or blanched green beans are perfect options for Cottage Pie. For convenience, simply use a small bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Put the frozen vegetables into a colander, then run cool water over them until they are thawed.
Use Good Quality Dry Red Wine
Use a good-quality dry red wine – something that you would actually drink. The flavor of the wine will be imparted to the sauce. If you don’t like the way the wine tastes when you drink it, you won’t like it in the sauce either.
Presentation
Use a flat bottomed bowl for best presentation. Start by carefully spooning out a portion of potatoes. Make sure to get plenty of golden-crusty ridges. Spoon out a portion of meat and vegetables beside the potatoes. It should be easy to visualize and build a perfect bite.
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