Conventional cottage pie with a wealthy meaty sauce, topped with creamy mashed potato, crisped as much as golden perfection. Try my tip for guaranteeing you additionally get a jug of scrumptious gravy to pour on high.
When Chris and I have been first relationship (over 22 years in the past!), we had a tiny little flat. One night time I made us cottage pie for dinner and we put the leftovers within the fridge.
The subsequent morning, I discovered him frying up the leftovers in a pan – in an enormous blended up mush. He fried it for ages – until it was crisp throughout. Then he positioned it between two slices of buttered bread and smothered it with ketchup.
Who does that?!!!
He’s fairly well-rounded in terms of meals and cooking. However that was positively one of many weirder moments, watching him eat that ketchup lined monstrosity.
He nonetheless does it now. It’s a factor.
If now we have the cottage pie on the desk, anybody seeking to scoop out the final portion is given a stern look. That’s Chris’s bizarre breakfast portion.
📋 Components
📺 Watch the right way to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this submit***
- Put the potatoes onto boil for the mash, then whereas they’re boiling, fry up onions, celery, carrot, minced beef, seasoning and sprint of Worcestershire sauce. As soon as the meat has browned, add in lots of beef inventory.
- Convey to the boil, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. I take advantage of a potato ricer (<–affiliate hyperlink) for excellent lump-free mashed potato. We add flavour and creaminess to the mashed potato by stirring in salt, pepper, cream and butter.
- Thicken the meat sauce by stirring in a cornstarch-and-water-mixture. Then use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and greens, leaving the vast majority of the liquid behind within the pan (don’t fear, there’ll nonetheless be sufficient gravy within the pie itself should you use a slotted spoon). This will likely be your gravy.
- Spoon the mashed potato on high of the meat in blobs.
- Then use a fork to hitch up the blobs and canopy the meat. Use the fork to ruffle up the mash too – the extra texture you might have, the extra crispy bits your mashed potato may have. Place in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for about 20 minutes, till the highest is golden brown.
Professional Tip
I add in much more inventory you then suppose you may want – that is so you might have sufficient liquid for gravy later.
Simply earlier than it’s prepared, reheat the gravy and serve the cottage pie together with your favorite sides.
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🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve mine with peas and pickled pink cabbage (not forgetting that pretty meaty gravy). Listed below are another nice choices:
Now the query is: Are you going to be making a cottage pie butty with the leftovers? If you’re, I’ve left some directions within the notes part of the recipe card under.
? Often Requested Questions
Sure, make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you place it within the oven. Then shortly cool, cowl and refrigerate, together with the gravy. It ought to be high-quality within the fridge for as much as a day.
Place within the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat it beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching.
I discover the mashed potato generally is a little watery after freezing, however as long as the pie is absolutely defrosted earlier than reheating, the pie ought to be high-quality after cooking and crisping up within the oven.
As above make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you place it within the oven. Then shortly cool, cowl and freeze, together with the gravy.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day (guarantee it’s absolutely defrosted all through earlier than reheating), then place within the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat is beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching – it could want a splash of water and a whisk to take away any lumps (or you would sieve it).
If I’m making a vegetarian model, I take advantage of quorn mince (or comparable different) with a number of very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian inventory – akin to Knorr vegetable inventory pots. Chances are you’ll want to regulate the seasoning, as some vegetable shares will be fairly salty.
Different variation concepts:
- High with tacky mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use candy potato as a substitute of normal potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp floor coriander, 1 tsp floor cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy model. This tastes even higher with candy potato mash on high.
🍲 Extra recipes with Mashed Potato
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Place the potatoes in a pan and canopy with chilly water. Convey to the boil and simmer for quarter-hour.
900 g (2 lbs) floury potatoes
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Whereas the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
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Warmth the oil in a big frying pan and prepare dinner the onions, celery, and carrot on medium warmth for 5 minutes till they begin to soften.
1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 massive onion, 1 stick celery, 1 carrot
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Add the minced beef and prepare dinner till browned – breaking apart any items as you go. Add in half the salt and pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, and inventory (see professional tip 1). Simmer for five minutes.
450 g (1 lb) minced beef, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) beef inventory
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By this time, the potatoes ought to be cooked. Drain the potatoes and mash utilizing a potato ricer. Add the cream, butter, and remaining salt and pepper and blend collectively.
60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream, 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
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Combine the cornflour (cornstarch) with three tbsp of chilly water and stir into the simmering beef combination to thicken the sauce (it’s possible you’ll want so as to add a little bit extra should you prefer it thicker).
1 heaped tbsp cornflour
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Flip off the warmth and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat combination and place right into a 7”x 9” (18cmx23cm) baking dish. This could depart a lot of the gravy behind within the pan.
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High the meat with the mashed potatoes (see professional tip 2), and flatten out with a spoon. Tough up the highest of the mash with a fork (so that you get good crispy bits).
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Place within the oven for 20 minutes till the mashed potato is golden brown. Warmth up the gravy, then serve the cottage pie with the gravy, inexperienced veg and a few pickled pink cabbage.
inexperienced veg, pickled pink cabbage
**Professional Tip 2** Spooning the mashed potato on in blobs will make it easier to get an excellent protection and assist forestall the meat getting blended in with the mash whenever you unfold it. You merely want to hitch up the blobs.
.Can I make it gluten free?
Sure – that is already a gluten free recipe – offering you employ gluten free inventory.
Can I make it forward?
Sure, make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you place it within the oven. Then shortly cool, cowl and refrigerate, together with the gravy. It ought to be high-quality within the fridge for as much as a day.
Place within the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat it beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching.
Will it freeze?
I discover the mashed potato generally is a little watery after freezing, however as long as the pie is absolutely defrosted earlier than reheating, the pie ought to be high-quality after cooking and crisping up within the oven.
As above make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you place it within the oven. Then shortly cool, cowl and freeze, together with the gravy.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day (guarantee it’s absolutely defrosted all through earlier than reheating), then place within the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat is beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching – it could want a splash of water and a whisk to take away any lumps (or you would sieve it).
Can I make a vegetarian model?
Sure. If I’m making a vegetarian model, I take advantage of quorn mince (or comparable different) with a number of very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian inventory – akin to Knorr vegetable inventory pots. Chances are you’ll want to regulate the seasoning, as some vegetable shares will be fairly salty.
Different variation concepts:
- High with tacky mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use candy potato as a substitute of normal potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp floor coriander, 1 tsp floor cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy model. This tastes even higher with candy potato mash on high.
Chris’s loopy leftover cottage pie butty directions
- Cool a leftover portion of cottage pie, then cowl and refrigerate.
- The subsequent morning warmth 1.5 tablespoon of impartial oil in a frying pan over a medium-high warmth.
- When the oil is scorching, add the cottage pie portion. Flatten down with a spatula (sure the minced beef and mash will meld collectively – that’s the thought apparently) and permit to prepare dinner for 4-6 minutes, till crispy and browned beneath.
- Flip it over with a spatula, sprinkle with a salt and pepper, then fry once more for 3-4 additional minutes, giving it a squash with the spatula, till golden brown and absolutely heated by. Flip off the warmth and break up the cottage pie a little bit with the spatula.
- Butter two slices of thick white bread and cargo them up with the fried cottage pie (observe: ‘butty type’ is to load up one piece of bread with cottage pie and fold it over, then repeat with the opposite piece of bread. ‘Sandwich type’ is to load up one piece of bread, and place one other piece of bread on high, then slice it in half).
- Smother the cottage pie with ketchup earlier than folding over the bread (or inserting the second piece of bread on high). Add further ketchup to the plate for dipping functions.
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Dietary Info is per serving with gravy, however not together with the serving suggestion of inexperienced greens and pickled pink cabbage/beetroot.
Energy: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 20g | Fats: 17g | Saturated Fats: 10g | Ldl cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 1064mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2120IU | Vitamin C: 15.5mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3.2mg
Diet data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
This submit was first printed November 2028. Up to date in Feb 2021 with new pictures and video, then Feb 2025 with some housekeeping.
A few of the hyperlinks on this submit could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which implies should you purchase the product I get a small fee (at no further price to you). In the event you do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary working. The dietary data supplied is approximate and may range relying on a number of components. For extra data please see our Phrases & Situations.
