Cottage Pie
A rich beef and vegetable filling under a fluffy, buttery mash with a crisp top. Proper British comfort food.
Ingredients
Quantities for 6. Tick things off as you go.
Method
Boil the potatoes
Put the potatoes in cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them steam dry for 3 minutes.
Brown the beef
While they cook, heat the oil in a large pan over high heat. Fry the beef in two batches for 5 minutes each until well browned and cooked through to 71°C (160°F), breaking it up. Move to a plate.
Cook the vegetables
In the same pan, cook the onion, carrots and celery over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée for 1 minute, then the flour for 1 minute.
Simmer the filling
Return the beef, add the stock, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer for 25 minutes until thick and saucy. Remove the herbs, stir in the peas and season.
Mash and top
Mash the potatoes with the butter, warm milk and salt until smooth. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spoon the filling into a baking dish, cover with the mash and rough it up with a fork.
Bake
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden and the edges bubble. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition per serving
520 kcal · protein 30 g · carbs 42 g · fat 25 g · fibre 6 g. This is an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Allergens
Read the label on every ingredient you buy. We can't account for how a product was made or packed.
How this page was made
Written by the Cookt team for the Cookt app, following our recipe standards. AI tools help us draft, check and illustrate recipes. No star ratings until enough people have rated this recipe in Cookt.
Sources
- Safe internal temperatures in the method: Safe minimum internal temperature chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
