Name: Old-Fashioned Cottage Pie
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp butter or tallow; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 ½ lbs (700 g) ground beef; 2 Tbsp flour; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 1 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh; 1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh; 1½ cup beef broth; 2 tsp unrefined salt, or to taste; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 cup peas ((fresh or frozen)); 2 lbs (900 g) potatoes, peeled & chopped; ½ cup crème fraîche or thick cream; 2-3 Tbsp raw milk (only if necessary); salt & pepper; 1 cup grated cheddar

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If you’re craving a simple, comforting dinner, this old-fashioned cottage pie is the perfect choice. It’s a favorite with my kids—especially the meat-and-cheese lovers who prefer meals without too many veggies—and it fills the whole house with the cozy smell of browned beef, fluffy mashed potatoes, and melting cheese.

In this from-scratch cottage pie recipe, I’ll show you how to make a hearty, nourishing meal using basic pantry staples. It’s ideal for a busy weeknight, and you can even assemble it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

Cottage pie in a casserole dish and a portion of cottage pie in a bowl garnished with chives

What Is Cottage Pie?

Cottage pie is a classic British dish made with a savory base of ground beef and rich gravy—often with a few vegetables mixed in—then topped with a generous layer of creamy mashed potatoes. It originated as a practical way to use up leftover meat, which is why traditional versions sometimes included shredded roast from the night before.

I love cottage pie because it’s hearty, comforting, and, honestly, because I adore potatoes in all their forms. Growing up in Eastern Europe, potatoes were a dinner staple—boiled, mashed, roasted, you name it. We ate pasta or rice occasionally, but most evenings you’d find potatoes on the table alongside the main dish. My grandma was the main cook in my family and she mostly cooked dishes that she had learnt as a young girl from her own grandmother in the 1950s. Dumplings, meat with gravy, and mashed potatoes were all staples in her meal rotation.

What’s the Difference Between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?

The main difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie is simple: shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, while cottage pie uses ground beef. Both dishes feature a rich, savory gravy and a topping of creamy mashed potatoes. If you have leftover roast lamb or beef on hand, you can absolutely use it in place of ground meat—these pies were, after all, originally created as a delicious way to repurpose leftovers.

Ingredients You Need

Ingredients for cottage pie arranged in cups and bowls on the counter top

Any type of homemade broth works well in this recipe. Once it simmers with the ground beef, it takes on the rich, savory flavor of the meat anyway.
Cottage pie recipes often call for a splash of Worcestershire sauce. I can’t get it where I live, so I use a mix of soy sauce and apple cider vinegar instead—but if you have Worcestershire on hand, feel free to use it.
Both crème fraîche and thick cream work beautifully in the mashed potato topping, so use whichever one you have.
Starchy potatoes (like Russet or Yukon Gold) make the best mashed potato topping.

How to Make Cottage Pie (Step-by-Step)

Step 1

Boiling potatoes for the cottage pie topping

Place the potatoes in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Tip: For a light and fluffy mashed potato topping, use starchy potatoes like Russets or Yukon Golds.

Step 2

Mashing potatoes with cream for the cottage cheese topping

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and mash with the cream, adding a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. If the potatoes are too firm to mash easily, stir in a little raw milk until smooth. I like to use a stick blender for extra creamy potatoes, but a potato masher works perfectly well too.

Step 3

Sauteing vegetables for the cottage pie filling

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of tallow or butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, and sauté until softened and fragrant. Season generously with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Step 4

Browning ground beef in tallow on a frying pan

Melt the remaining tallow or butter in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until nicely browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Season generously with salt and pepper. Browning the beef well adds rich, savory flavor to the pie, so don’t rush this step.

Step 5

Adding flour to ground beef in the frying pan to create a thicker gravy

Sprinkle the flour over the browned beef and stir to combine. Cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour taste and help thicken the filling.

Step 6

Adding tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder to the ground beef in the frying pan

Stir in the tomato paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Mix well to evenly coat the beef and vegetables.

Step 7

Adding sauteed onion, carrots, and celery as well as the broth to the ground beef in the pan to create the cottage pie filling

Add the sautéed onion, celery, carrots, and garlic back into the pan, along with the stock. Stir to combine, then simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly. While the filling simmers, preheat your oven to 200°C (375°F).

Step 8

Adding green peas to the cottage pie filling in the pan

Stir in the peas, then remove the pan from the heat. Tip: Adding the peas at the end keeps them bright and tender, so they don’t overcook.

Step 9

Pouring the cottage pie filling into the casserole dish

Transfer the beef and vegetable filling into your prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.

Step 10

Mashed potato topping spread over the cottage pie filling in the casserole dish

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling, spreading them evenly to the edges to seal in the mixture.

Step 11

Creating ridges in the mashed potato topping with a fork

Use a fork to gently create ridges or grooves in the mashed potato topping. These ridges help the potatoes brown nicely and add a rustic, homemade look to your pie.

Step 12

Adding grated cheddar over the mashed potato topping

Sprinkle the grated Cheddar evenly over the mashed potato topping. For extra flavor I like to use a sharp or mature Cheddar, but you can use your favorite kind of hard cheese instead.

Step 13

Hot cottage pie fresh from the oven with a sprig of rosemary on the side

Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the mashed potato topping is golden. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set slightly.

Serving Ideas

With a crisp green salad or some fermented veggies on the side.
With crusty sourdough bread or buttery dinner rolls to soak up the gravy.
Roasted root veggies, like parsnips, carrots, or turnips also make a delicious side.

How to Store Unbaked Cottage Pie

To refrigerate it, cover the assembled pie tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
To freeze, wrap the assembled pie tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil, or place in a freezer-safe dish with a lid. Freeze for up to 2–3 months.

How to Store Baked Cottage Pie

To refrigerate, let the pie cool completely, then cover with foil or an airtight lid. Store in the fridge for 3–4 days.
To freeze, cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat the refrigerated pie, place it in a 350°F / 175°C oven for 20–25 minutes until warmed through.
To reheat the frozen pie, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat as above. If baking from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 350°F / 175°C for 50–60 minutes, removing foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the top.

Cottage pie served in a bowl with a garnish of chives

Recipe FAQ

Yes, cottage pie recipes will usually include gravy. In my recipe I make a flavorful gravy from broth thickened with some flour, which mixed with ground beef and veggies makes a delicious base for the pie.

You can assemble your cottage pie in the baking dish, top with mashed potatoes and cheese, then refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Make sure to cover it tightly with plastic or foil so it doesn’t dry out or absorb fridge odors.

Yes, you can use ground lamb or turkey instead of beef if you like. It technically won’t be cottage pie anymore – the same recipe made with lamb is usually called shepherd’s pie, but it will still be a delicious pie!

There is no need to cover the pie. In fact, baking it uncovered allows the mashed potatoes and the shredded cheese to get golden and delicious.

Make the mashed potatoes nice and thick, like I did in the recipe by only adding some cream and a little splash of milk if necessary to blend the potatoes smooth. If you add too much liquid into the potatoes when mashing them, the mixture will be too thin and will sink into the meat and gravy on the bottom. Also ensure that the pie filling is thick and not too hot – allow it to cool slightly before topping it with the mashed potatoes.

This can happen if your filling was too runny or not thickened properly. In my recipe I use just the right amount of meat, veggies, and stock, and I thicken the filling with some flour to ensure it is perfectly thick and won’t make your pie watery.

Yes, I include Cheddar cheese sprinkled on top of the potatoes. It adds an extra layer of deliciousness to the pie. You could also replace Cheddar with your favorite cheese, such as Monterey Jack or Gouda if you like.

Enjoy Your Pie!

I hope you enjoy this cottage pie and find yourself making it again and again for your family, just as I do. I always keep ground beef and lamb in the freezer because they’re so versatile—we use ground meat in pasta sauces, lasagna, pizza, and in comforting pies like this one.

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Cottage pie in a glass casserole dish with a sprig of rosemary on the side

Old-Fashioned Cottage Pie

A classic, easy cottage pie made from scratch with seasoned beef, rich gravy, and fluffy mashed potatoes baked until golden.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

resting time 10

Total Time 1 5

Serving Size 6

Equipment

9×13 inch baking dish or similar
potato masher or stick blender

Ingredients

For the pie filling

2 Tbsp butter or tallow
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ lbs (700 g) ground beef
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh
1½ cup beef broth
2 tsp unrefined salt, or to taste
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

For the mashed potato topping

2 lbs (900 g) potatoes, peeled & chopped
½ cup crème fraîche or thick cream
2-3 Tbsp raw milk (only if necessary)
salt & pepper
1 cup grated cheddar

Instructions

Boil the potatoes in a small pot of water until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Drain and mash with cream, salt, and pepper. If too firm, add a little raw milk.
Melt 1 tbsp tallow or butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until softened. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the remaining 1 tbsp fat in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Season well.
Sprinkle flour over the beef and stir for about 1 minute.
Stir in tomato paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1–2 minutes.
Return the sautéed vegetables to the pan and add the stock. Simmer for 8 minutes until slightly thickened. Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F).
Stir in the peas and remove from heat.
Transfer the filling to a baking dish and spread evenly. Spoon mashed potatoes on top, smoothing to the edges to seal the filling.
Use a fork to create ridges in the mashed potatoes.
Sprinkle grated Cheddar evenly over the top.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and golden on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Freeze the unbaked pie for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.