Easy Cottage Pie is a marriage of deeply savory beef in gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and finished in the oven until that beautiful golden hue appears. It differs from its cousin ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ which uses ground lamb instead of beef. I used my mother’s recipe to create this dish. I kept it authentic, to allow the simplicity of the ingredients to be appreciated.
This Easy Cottage Pie was a staple in my upbringing! I believe that is true of any Irish person my age! You’ll find it in most eating establishments from pubs to fancier restaurants.
This Cottage Pie is easy because:
- It is served in ramekins, all the portioning has been done. This makes it easy to serve.
- Potatoes are hand mashed, no need for a hand mixer.
- This recipe uses everyday, basic ingredients.
- I cooked the meat first, then used the same pot (after a quick rinse) to cook the potatoes.
- Potatoes are not piped on, they are spread on.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: preferably grass fed / organic.
- Potatoes: such as russets.
- Butter: preferably Irish / grass fed and salted.
- Beef stock.
- Carrots.
- Onion.
Instructions
In a pot, brown the ground beef. There is enough fat in the beef to cook it. If the beef is particularly lean, stir it so that it does not stick.
While the beef is browning, peel and chop the onions and carrots.
Brown the beef as much as possible until it starts to stick. This extensive browning will add flavor.
Add the chopped onions. They will soften in a combination of their own juice and the little fat that is left in the pot.
Five minutes after adding the onion, add the chopped carrots and stir.
Five minutes later, pour in the beef stock and mix well. Add about ½ tsp of salt and pepper. Do not cover. Cook for about 1 hour. This will cook everything and release all the flavors. The meat mixture will naturally thicken, due to reduction, no need for any thickeners.
Spoon equal amounts of the meat mixture into ramekins. You’ll need 6 ramekins.
Peel and chop the potatoes. Chopping them into smaller pieces enables them to cook quicker. Put them into a pot of salted water, making sure they are immersed.
Cook for about 7-10 minutes until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain the water off.
Grate the butter into the cooked potatoes.
Using a hand masher, break up the potatoes while mixing in the butter. Check the flavor and add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat in each ramekin. The meat will have cooled which makes the spreading of the potatoes much easier. Flatten the potatoes and using a fork, create a pattern on top to look like cottage shingles. Put in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 35 -45 minutes until golden brown.
Maillard Reaction
Beef that is browned in this way, goes through a process called the Maillard Reaction. It is a chemical process that involves the amino acids (protein) reacting with the reducing sugars in the meat, creating a brown color in the food and giving it a distinctive taste.
When browning the ground beef in this Cottage Pie recipe, I encourage you to cook the beef until sticking point, meaning the beef will start to stick to the bottom of the pot. This creates a deeper Maillard Reaction in the beef giving it a darker brown color and more flavor due to the prolonged cooking of it. The vegetables and stock added to the beef will loosen any stuck pieces.
Flexibility
Changing this recipe for Cottage Pie in any way, takes a step away from its authenticity. It will also alter the nutritional value, calorie content, flavor profile, and appearance.
Using ground beef as the main meat choice in this recipe, makes the recipe authentic. If you want to use a mixture of ground meats like lamb, pork along with the beef, that’s fine.
Use fresh potatoes, do not be tempted to top this pie off with instant mash. If you do, you’ll loose your Irish card! Making homemade mashed potatoes are worth it. This is a great way to use leftover boiled / mashed potatoes.
Butter is a must, walk away from the margarine or table spread. This recipe demands butter, but it doesn’t have to be grass fed or Irish.
Beef stock provides a deep savory base for the meat and vegetables to cook in. Chicken stock is a poor substitute but it is better than water.
Carrots are included for color, taste and sweetness. Omit them if you prefer.
Use fresh shallots (same volume as a large onion) or fresh garlic (use half to a full bulb depending on how much you like garlic) instead of onion. Grate them for maximum flavor release. Or use 1 tablespoon of onion powder or 3 tablespoons of dried onion flakes instead of a large fresh onion.
Easy Cottage Pie can be divided into 6 ramekins (makes serving easier) or into 2-3 larger dishes or one large container. Either way, it is delicious!
Uses for Easy Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie can be a lunch or dinner option. Served in pubs across the U.K., it is oftentimes part of a pub grub lunch menu, served with a green salad and a pint of beer. Restaurants will serve it with garden peas and a red wine jus.
This is easy enough to serve as an easy family meal. It can be made as a whole pie, made in advance and reheated when needed.
Other authentic Irish recipes to try are Wheaten Bread, Boxty and Irish Apple Cake.
Storage of Easy Cottage Pie
Easy Cottage Pie is a great choice of dish to make in advance. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. It can be stored with the potato topping in place but not yet oven baked, or it can be completely finished with its golden brown crust. Cottage Pie is always frozen in a fully cooked form.
Equipment
This recipe for Cottage Pie has been made easy by not using equipment, but it you prefer to use a hand mixer for whipping the potatoes and a piping bag to pipe them on top of the meat, then by all means do so.
A Tip From Me
Cottage Pie consists of 2 parts – the meat layer and the mashed potato layer. One way to make it easier, is to make extra mashed potatoes and freeze them. Defrost them, mix them with melted butter and place them on top of the meat layer. This will help quicken up the process. It is also a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- What’s the difference between Cottage and Shepherd’s Pie? Cottage Pie typically uses ground beef and Shepherd’s Pie typically uses ground lamb. The terms and meats are often interchanged. Many a times, I’ve eaten Shepherd’s Pie made from beef.
- Why is it called Cottage Pie? Peasants in the 1800’s living in cottages, made this mashed potato covered meat dish popular.
- Where does Cottage Pie originate? Most people agree it is from the UK / Ireland region. It is still very popular today in those areas.
Food Safety
When cooking the ground beef in this recipe, a well developed Maillard Reaction is encouraged. However, it you don’t want to cook the beef long enough for this, please ensure the beef mixture reaches a temperature of at least 160 degrees F according to the USDA.
Easy Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, preferably grass fed / organic
- 2.5 lbs potatoes, such as russets
- 1 large onion
- 1 pint beef stock
- 4 oz salted butter
- 10 oz carrots
Instructions
- In a pot, brown the ground beef. The fat in the beef will cook it. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
- While the beef is browning, peel and chop the onions and carrots.
- Add the chopped onions. They will soften in a combination of their own juice and the little fat that is left in the pot.
- Five minutes after adding the onion, add the chopped carrots and stir.
- Five minutes later, pour in the beef stock and mix well. Add about ½ tsp of salt and pepper. Do not cover. Cook for about 1 hour. This will cook everything and release all the flavors. The meat mixture will naturally thicken, due to reduction, no need for any thickeners.
- Spoon equal amounts of the meat mixture into 6 ramekins.
- Peel and chop the potatoes. Chopping them into smaller pieces enables them to cook quicker. Immerse them into a pot of salted water.
- Cook for about 7-10 minutes until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain off the water.
- Grate the butter into the cooked potatoes.
- Using a hand masher, break up the potatoes while mixing in the butter. Check the flavor and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat in each ramekin. The meat will have cooled which makes the spreading of the potatoes much easier. Flatten the potatoes and using a fork, create a pattern on top. Put in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 35 -45 minutes until golden brown.
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