By Becky Hardin
Published Mar 11, 2020
The Best Cottage Pie recipe is here! This is the original comfort food! A tasty ground beef gravy filling is topped with crispy, creamy mashed potato and baked until golden perfection. Swap the beef for lamb, and you’ll turn this into a Shepherd’s Pie !
Skillet Cottage Pie
The Best Cottage pie recipe is also easy to whip up! Most of the cooking action is done in one skillet. It’s hearty, comforting and delicious, you’ll want to make it all year round!
How To Make The Best Cottage Pie Recipe – Step By Step
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook beef in large skillet.
- Add oil, butter and carrots to the skillet. Cook while stirring.
- Add onions and cook until onions are translucent and carrots and onions have softened.
- Add seasonings and sauces.
- Remove from heat and add peas. Season to taste with additional salt & pepper, if needed.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and set oven to broil. Spoon the mashed potatoes, in an even layer, over the beef mixture and smooth with the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle with cheese and broil.
- Serve and enjoy!
What’s The Difference Between Cottage Pie And Shepherd’s Pie?
Cottage Pie is a popular English classic, it’s the don of comfort foods!
There is often confusion over the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie. Both are made the same way – a ground meat filling in a gravy sauce that is topped with mashed potato, then baked.
The only difference is that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb instead of beef.
So if you want, just swap the beef in this recipe with lamb and you’ll have a Shepherd’s Pie. Both are awesome!
How to Store
Freshly baked cottage pie will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
To freeze, wrap cottage pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag, it will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to eat, reheat the cottage pie (still covered with the foil) for 1 hour in a 350ºF oven.
Pairing Ideas
For a cosy meal on a cold winter night, you can’t beat a Cottage Pie with perhaps a side of Glazed Roasted Carrots and Grilled Asparagus Recipe with Lemon Butter .
The only other thing you need is a glass of red wine!
Tips!
- If using a cast iron skillet make sure to put a tea towel around the handle, things get hot!
- To stop the potato from sinking into the filling, cool the filling first. But this isn’t essential.
- Ensure the filling reduces down enough. to ensure you don’t end up with a watery filling after baking. It’s so disappointing when you break through the potato to be greeted with a beef sitting in a watery sauce!
- You can swap the beef for lamb, to make a delectable shepherd’s pie!
Check Out These Cozy Beef Recipes
- Cozy Bacon Cheeseburger Pot Pie
- Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
- Beef Pot Pie
- Crockpot Beef and Noodles
- Sweet and Sour Brisket
- Bacon Meatloaf
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- ▢ 2 pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ▢ ¼ cup cream half ‘n half or whole milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Beef Filling:
- ▢ 2 pounds lean ground beef/sirloin – at least 93% lean
- ▢ 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ▢ 2 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
- ▢ ½ large onion finely chopped
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
- ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 cups chicken broth
- ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Madeira or Dry Sherry or Ruby Port optional
- ▢ 1 cup frozen peas
- ▢ ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- Place potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- When potatoes are tender, transfer them to large saucepan set over medium-low heat. Shake the pan until excess moisture in the potatoes has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and add butter, cream, salt & pepper. Mash together until butter has melted and potatoes are smooth. (Don’t over-mix or the potatoes can become gummy.) Cover with a paper towel and then with foil and set aside (the paper towel with absorb any steam).
For the Beef Mixture:
- Add beef to a 10-inch cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook beef, stirring often, until it is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer beef to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe the skillet dry with a paper towel.
- Add oil, butter and carrots to the skillet, still set over medium heat. Cook carrots 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent and carrots and onions have softened, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Stir and cook an additional 1-minute.
- Add the cooked beef and stir.
- Stir in flour and cook 1-minute.
- While stirring and scraping up any browned bits, add the broth, Worcestershire Sauce and Madeira. Continue stirring until no lumps remain.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until mixture has slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and add peas. Season to taste with additional salt & pepper, if needed.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and set oven to broil.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes, in an even layer, over the beef mixture and smooth with the back of a spoon. Use the tines of a fork to make ridges on the surface of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with grated Parmesan and set the skillet in the oven.
- Broil 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crusty in spots.
- Transfer skillet to a cooling rack and cool about 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cottage Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup cream half ‘n half or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Beef Filling:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef/sirloin – at least 93% lean
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
- ½ large onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Madeira or Dry Sherry or Ruby Port optional
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- Place potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- When potatoes are tender, transfer them to large saucepan set over medium-low heat. Shake the pan until excess moisture in the potatoes has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and add butter, cream, salt & pepper. Mash together until butter has melted and potatoes are smooth. (Don’t over-mix or the potatoes can become gummy.) Cover with a paper towel and then with foil and set aside (the paper towel with absorb any steam).
For the Beef Mixture:
- Add beef to a 10-inch cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook beef, stirring often, until it is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer beef to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe the skillet dry with a paper towel.
- Add oil, butter and carrots to the skillet, still set over medium heat. Cook carrots 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent and carrots and onions have softened, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Stir and cook an additional 1-minute.
- Add the cooked beef and stir.
- Stir in flour and cook 1-minute.
- While stirring and scraping up any browned bits, add the broth, Worcestershire Sauce and Madeira. Continue stirring until no lumps remain.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until mixture has slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and add peas. Season to taste with additional salt & pepper, if needed.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and set oven to broil.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes, in an even layer, over the beef mixture and smooth with the back of a spoon. Use the tines of a fork to make ridges on the surface of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with grated Parmesan and set the skillet in the oven.
- Broil 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crusty in spots.
- Transfer skillet to a cooling rack and cool about 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
