Cottage Pie

July 6, 2025 Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

OK, now pretty much everyone can make a cottage pie, so why are we putting it on here? This version is one that we have developed over a number of years. We like it and, recently, we served to some good friends who also like it, so we decided to share the recipe here. It isn’t rocket science, but it does make a really nice cottage pie! We usually serve this with peas (frozen), but if runner beans are in season (we don’t buy veg that isn’t in season) then they go really well with it. We generally prefer it with turnip, but again, if it isn’t in season or available, swede is a good alternative and is available almost all year round … from UK sources! So, if you fancy trying our recipe, we do think it works rather well!

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Cottage Pie

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: English

Keyword: beef stock, brown sauce, carrot, minced beef, onion, turnip, worcestershire sauce

Servings: people

Calories: 458kcal

Author: Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

Ingredients

1 large White Onion chopped into small pieces
2 Carrots chopped into equal size small pieces
1 Turnip or Swede, chopped into equal size small pieces
500 g Beef Mince
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Brown Sauce we use HP, we think it's the best!
1 Beef Stock Pot
200 ml Water
1 tbsp Cornflour
2 tbsp Water
Salt and Pepper to season
1 kg Potatoes
175 g Butter

Instructions

To make the mince base

Chop all the vegetables into equal sized pieces. It will seem like a lot of vegetables but they will cook down and they really add flavour to the end dish!
Fry the vegetables in a pan big enough to take the vegetables, the mince and the water. After you have fried for about 5 minutes over a medium heat, put a lid on which will help to steam the vegetables and soften them quicker than frying alone
Add the beef mince and cook until the beef has turned brown throughout (you don't want any pink bits left! Add the Worcestershire sauce and the brown sauce and stir to incorporate
Next add the beef stock pot and the water and stir. Cook for about 25 minutes over a medium heat, then mix the cornflour with the water and add to the mixture to thicken it slightly. Season with salt and pepper

For the mashed potato

Whilst the base is cooking, peel and cut the potatoes into even sized chunks. Fill a pan with enough cold water to just cover the potatoes, add a pinch of salt and then bring to a boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked through
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and add the butter. Mash until no lumps remain.

Assemble the Cottage Pie

Fill a pie dish with the base. Remember you have a fair amount of mashed potato to put on top, so don't over fill
Spoon the mashed potato over the top carefully so as not to draw up the base mixture, then, using a fork, smooth the potato over the pie
Place the assembled pie on a baking tray into a pre-heated over at 190℃, 170℃ fan, gas mark 5 and cook for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Stand for 5 minutes to let it settle and then serve with a green vegetable of your choice. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Food That We Eat

Cottage Pie