Cottage Pie (or Shepherd's Pie)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
589 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Cottage Pie (or Shepherd's Pie)
Description
This Cottage Pie features a hearty filling of ground beef and pork sausage browned and cooked with diced onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Flour is added to thicken the mixture, which is simmered with beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and frozen corn and peas. The resulting meat gravy is deeply flavored and slightly thick. The topping consists of mashed russet potatoes combined with sour cream, milk, butter, and grated Parmesan cheese, creating a creamy, flavorful crust with a bit of sharpness from the cheese. Cheddar cheese sprinkled on top forms a melted, golden-browned finish after baking.
Typically, the pie is served hot as a main course, offering a filling and balanced meal. It is well-suited for family dinners or make-ahead meals. The combination of tender vegetables and rich meat filling with the creamy potato topping makes it especially satisfying in cooler weather.
Practical tips include possible substitutions such as using ground lamb for a Shepherd’s Pie, vegetarian adaptations with additional vegetables and grains, and gluten-free options by replacing flour with cornstarch and using gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. The dish stores well for a few days refrigerated and freezes up to two months, requiring thawing before reheating.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 lb ground beef lean
- 1 lb ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean pork sausage)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1-2 carrot chopped (about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth low-sodium
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cube beef bouillon
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, fresh
- 1 teaspoon rosemary chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, fresh
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ cup corn frozen
- ½ cup peas frozen
For the mashed potatoes
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potato Yukon gold or russet potatoes
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup cheddar cheese for topping, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make mashed potatoes: Add potatoes to a saucepan with 3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Drain the water and leave the potatoes in the pot. Cover with the lid and allow to steam for a few minutes.
- Mash the potatoes lightly with a potato masher (avoid over-mixing the potatoes). Add butter, sour cream, milk, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and stir just until smooth. Set aside.
- Make the meat gravy: In a large, oven-safe* 12 inch skillet with sides, add the ground beef and ground sausage (or ground lamb, to make shepherd's pie). Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat until browned, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain some of the grease (reserving some in the pan) and remove meat to a plate.
- Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pan and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and flour and toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth, bouillon cube, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and bay leaves and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add extra seasonings, if needed. Remove bay leaves and stir in frozen peas, corn, and cooked meat.
- Assemble: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture to completely cover the top. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving, to allow the gravy sauce in the meat mixture to cool and thicken.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Serving size is about 1 1/4 cups per person.
- If you don’t have a large oven-safe skillet, assemble the pie in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- For Shepherd's Pie, substitute the ground sausage and beef with ground lamb.
- Vegetarian option: omit meat and double the vegetables or add cooked grains like barley, farro, or wild rice; use vegetable stock instead of beef broth and substitute wine vinegar for Worcestershire sauce.
- Use cornstarch mixed with broth as a gluten-free thickening agent, and choose gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if needed.
- Prepare meat gravy and mashed potatoes in advance and store separately for up to three days; reheat mashed potatoes with a splash of milk before assembling.
- Freeze assembled pies wrapped tightly for up to two months; thaw completely before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 589 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 8g | |
| Calories | 589kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 41g | 14% |
| Protein | 30g | 60% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 109mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 1249mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 1298mg | 28% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 2610IU | 52% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 189mg | 19% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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