Description
Hearty cottage pie brings rustic comfort straight from British kitchens, blending savory ground beef with creamy mashed potato perfection. Home cooks savor this classic one-pan meal that warms hearts and satisfies hungry families with its rich, layered flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground sausage
Vegetable Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1/2 carrot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Seasoning and Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 pounds (1.13 kilograms) potatoes
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Peel and quarter potatoes, then boil in salted water until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and mash thoroughly with sour cream, milk, butter, and parmesan until smooth and creamy.
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and sausage over medium-high heat until fully cooked and no pink remains, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove meat and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pan.
- Sauté diced onion, celery, carrot, and minced garlic in the same skillet until vegetables soften and become translucent, roughly 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to create a roux, cooking for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
- Pour in tomato paste, beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and broth, stirring to combine and create a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Simmer sauce for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Reintroduce browned meat to the sauce, then gently fold in frozen peas and corn.
- Transfer meat mixture to a baking dish, spreading evenly across the bottom.
- Spread mashed potato mixture over the meat, creating decorative peaks with a fork.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of potato layer.
- Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until cheese is golden and filling is bubbling.
- Allow pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving to set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Swap ground beef with lentils or plant-based crumbles for a vegetarian version that maintains rich, hearty flavors.
- Use lactose-free dairy or nutritional yeast to create a dairy-free mashed potato topping suitable for sensitive diets.
- Enhance potato texture by thoroughly draining potatoes after boiling and letting steam evaporate for fluffier, lighter mash.
- Freeze individual portions before baking for convenient meal prep, storing up to 3 months in airtight containers.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 503 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg