Cottage Pie

5 from 3 votes

A ground beef and vegetable filling is coated in flavorful gravy and topped with mashed potatoes, making this Cottage Pie a nourishing, cozy and easy dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Irish

Keyword cottage pie, ground beef casserole

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 55

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings people

Calories 415.9kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salted butter
½ cup onion, diced
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves)
1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 ounces (about 5 tablespoons) tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. frozen peas and carrots
4-5 cups mashed potatoes, or enough to cover the top of your dish (I used 2 containers of refrigerated store-bought mashed potatoes (24 ounces each))
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven 300°F. Spray a 2-quart dish (about 8- or 9-inch square baking dish) with cooking spray and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the ground beef, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, carrots and peas. Cook and stir over low heat, just until everything is combined.
Transfer meat mixture to prepared baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top. Swirl the mashed potatoes into little peaks if you like (this will help them brown on top at the end).
Cover the dish with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F, remove the foil, and return the dish to the oven for about 10 more minutes (or until the potatoes brown on top).
Let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes before garnishing with parsley and serving.

Notes

Can Cottage Pie be made the day before? Yes! You can assemble this dish in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
To freeze Cottage Pie: After baking, let pan cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat the dish (still covered with foil) for 1 hour in a 350ºF oven.
I typically use two containers of store-bought mashed potatoes for this recipe; however, you can substitute with about 4-5 cups of your favorite homemade mashed potatoes.
Substitute mashed sweet potatoes for the regular white potatoes if you prefer.
Instead of the frozen peas and carrots, you can substitute with an equal amount of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn and green beans) or any other variety that your family prefers.
For even more savory flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to the beef mixture at the same time that you add the broth.
Make it a Shepherd's Pie by swapping out the ground beef and using ground lamb instead. You can also substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken, if you prefer.

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