Servings
Font
Back
0 from 1,191 votes

Cottage Pie (or Shepherd's Pie)

This easy Cottage Pie recipe has a flavorful gravy with ground beef, ground sausage, and mixed vegetables topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 589 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British , Irish

Ingredients

For the Filling:
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 lb ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean pork sausage)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion , chopped
  • 2 ribs celery , chopped
  • 1-2 carrots , chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3  cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
  • 1  cube beef bouillon
  • 2  tablespoons  Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1  teaspoon  fresh thyme , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary)
  • 2  bay leaves
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  • ½ cup frozen peas
For the mashed potatoes
  • 2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes , Yukon gold or russet potatoes
  • ¼ cup  sour cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • 4  tablespoons butter
  • salt and pepper , to taste
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese , for topping

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. Drain the water and leave the potatoes in the pot. Cover with the lid and allow to steam for a few minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Add the beef broth, bouillon cube, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and bay leaves and stir to combine.
  9. 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.
  10. Assemble: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture to completely cover the top. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
  11. 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.
  12. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 

Notes

  • Serving size is about 1 1/4 cups.
  • Skillet size: If you don’t have large enough oven-safe skillet, assemble cottage pie in a 9x13 inch pan.
  • For Shepherd's Pie: Substitute ground lamb. 
  • Substitute ground lamb. 
  • Vegetarian:  Omit meat and either double the vegetables or add a cup of cooked barley, farro, or wild rice.  Use vegetable stock instead of beef stock, and substitute wine vinegar for Worcestershire if desired.
  • Gluten-Free Adaptations: Replace flour by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the beef broth before adding to the pan. Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
  • Make Ahead Instructions:  Cook the meat gravy and mashed potatoes and store separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm the mashed potatoes in the microwave with a little splash of milk, to re-soften them, and then assemble before baking.
  • Freezing Instructions: Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before baking until warmed through.

Nutrition Information

Serving 8g Calories 589kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 30g (60%) Fat 34g (52%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 109mg (36%) Sodium 1249mg (52%) Potassium 1298mg (37%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 2610IU (52%) Vitamin C 14mg (16%) Calcium 189mg (19%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 589

% 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.