Cottage Pie Recipe
Written by Christopher Ellis • Posted on 29 July 2019 • Read time < 1 min
This is a traditional British dish that we will often have for dinner in the winter months. You can also make a variant known as shepherd pie (so called because shepherds are sheep farmers) by using lamb mince instead of beef. If you decide to make shepherd pie use rosemary rather than thyme and leave out the Worcestershire sauce and the peppers. Enjoy!
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- Minced beef 500g
- Celery (2 sticks finely chopped)
- Carrot (1 finely diced)
- Garlic cloves x 2 (finely minced or crushed)
- Large white onion (finely chopped)
- Beef stock cube (crushed)
- Fresh thyme leaves (2 sprigs finely chopped)
- Dried mixed herb (1 tablespoon)
- Cheddar cheese
- Milk
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato ketchup
- Chopped tomatoes x 1 tin (400g)
- Butter
- Red pepper (finely diced - optional)
- Orange pepper (finely diced - optional)
- Peas (Optional)
- Salt & pepper
- Sunflower oil
- Potatoes (5-6 medium)
Method
- Heat a teaspoon of sunflower oil in a large saucepan. Add your minced beef to the pan and break up with a wooden spoon. Keep turning it until it all goes brown. (We call this browning the mince)
- Add in the celery and carrot with 3 pinches of salt and a few turns of black pepper from a pepper mill. Stir regularly for 5 minutes on a medium heat.
- Stir in your onion and any optional ingredients you are using. After 5 minutes or once the onion has softened add a splash of milk, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and the garlic and dried herbs. Continue to stir until the milk has mostly been absorbed (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in 2 tablespoons of ketchup, the chopped tomatoes, the crushed stock cube and the fresh thyme. Turn the heat down low and leave to simmer for 45 minutes with the lid left ajar (slightly open).
- Whilst the filling is cooking peel and chop your potatoes and add them to a pot of slightly salted boiling water. Cook for 25 minutes or until soft.
- Once the potatoes have cooked drain them and mash them in the pan with some butter, a small pinch of salt and a splash of milk. Once mashed beat them with a spatula or wooden spoon until they turn creamy and smooth.
- Turn your oven on to preheat to 180 degrees Celcius.
- Place you pie filling in a casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Run the back of a fork through the mashed potato topping to create ridges on the top.
- Grate a little cheddar cheese on top of the mash and top with some freshly ground black pepper.
- Place in the oven and cook for 35 minutes.
- Enjoy! Serve with peas or green beans.
