Cottage Pie

Cottage pie topped with mashed potatoes lightly browned

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5 from 15 votes

A hearty and flavorful savory pie make with ground beef, vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Prep Time1

Cook Time25

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: cottage pie

Servings:

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the beef mixture:

2 pounds lean ground beef (not less than 90%)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

For the mashed potatoes:

3 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small chunks (3-ounces or 85g)
1 teaspoon pepper
⅔ cup milk
1 large egg yolk

For filling:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 medium carrots diced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
14.5 ounce can low-sodium beef broth (use less broth if you prefer for a drier casserole)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen green peas

Instructions

To prepare the beef:

Place the ground beef in a medium mixing bowl. In a small cup combine the baking soda with 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to dissolve. Pour the baking soda mixture over the ground beef and toss to combine. Set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature while preparing the potatoes.

To prepare the potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover completely with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10-12 minutes.
Drain the potatoes completely until very dry. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash until no lumps remain. Add the butter, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the butter is melted. Whisk together the milk and egg yolk. Add to the potatoes and stir to combine. Cover and set aside.

To prepare the filling:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In an oven/broiler-proof large skillet (at least 12-inches wide) add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat on medium until butter is melted. Add the onions, carrots, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots start to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly until the mixture darkens and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, scraping up the browned fond on the bottom of the skillet. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire and thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the beef in small chunks on top of the vegetables (don't stir). Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through breaking up any large clumps.
Whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add to the beef. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Place the mashed potatoes in a large zipper or pipping bag. Cut a 1-inch opening in one corner of the bag and pipe the potatoes over the beef mixture. Smooth the potatoes to cover the beef. Drag the tines of a fork across the top to make decorative ridges in the potatoes.
Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 - 20 minutes. Turn the broiler on HIGH, prop the oven door open slightly and broil the casserole until the potatoes are golden brown and crusty, about 5 minutes. (Watch carefully so they don't burn!)
Cool 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Inspired by recipes on Food Network and Cook’s Country
The beef mixture may be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Allow the beef to come to room temperature while preparing the mashed potatoes Bake and broil as directed.
We recommend using a potato masher for the mashed potatoes. An electric mixer will make the mashed potatoes gummy.
We use 2 cups of beef broth in this recipe. If you prefer a drier casserole with less gravy, use 1 to 1 1/2 cups broth instead.
Fattier beef will create more juice, affecting the amount of gravy in this casserole. If using ground beef with a high fat content, decrease the amount of beef broth to 1 cup.
This dish can be baked in the skillet used to make the meat, or transferred to a casserole dish before baking. Make sure your casserole dish is broiler friendly. If you don't have a broiler-friendly pan, skip that step and just bake until bubbly and browned on top.
For a shortcut, use pre-made, store-bought mashed potatoes mixed with 1 egg yolk.
Piping mashed potatoes on top is recommended. If spooned on top, the potatoes tend to clump and sink, and not spread as well when covering the meat mixture.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition