Conventional cottage pie with a wealthy meaty sauce, topped with creamy mashed potato, crisped as much as golden perfection. Try my tip for making certain you additionally get a jug of scrumptious gravy to pour on prime.
When Chris and I have been first relationship (over 22 years in the past!), we had a tiny little flat. One evening I made us cottage pie for dinner and we put the leftovers within the fridge.
The subsequent morning, I discovered him frying up the leftovers in a pan – in an enormous combined up mush. He fried it for ages – until it was crisp throughout. Then he positioned it between two slices of buttered bread and smothered it with ketchup.
Who does that?!!!
He’s fairly well-rounded relating to meals and cooking. However that was undoubtedly one of many weirder moments, watching him eat that ketchup coated monstrosity.
He nonetheless does it now. It’s a factor.
If we now have the cottage pie on the desk, anybody seeking to scoop out the final portion is given a stern look. That’s Chris’s bizarre breakfast portion.
📋 Elements
📺 Watch how you can make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this put up***
- Put the potatoes onto boil for the mash, then whereas they’re boiling, fry up onions, celery, carrot, minced beef, seasoning and sprint of Worcestershire sauce. As soon as the meat has browned, add in loads of beef inventory.
- Deliver to the boil, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. I exploit a potato ricer (<–affiliate hyperlink) for excellent lump-free mashed potato. We add flavour and creaminess to the mashed potato by stirring in salt, pepper, cream and butter.
- Thicken the meat sauce by stirring in a cornstarch-and-water-mixture. Then use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and greens, leaving the vast majority of the liquid behind within the pan (don’t fear, there’ll nonetheless be sufficient gravy within the pie itself for those who use a slotted spoon). This might be your gravy.
- Spoon the mashed potato on prime of the meat in blobs.
- Then use a fork to affix up the blobs and canopy the meat. Use the fork to ruffle up the mash too – the extra texture you’ve, the extra crispy bits your mashed potato could have. Place in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for about 20 minutes, till the highest is golden brown.
Professional Tip
I add in much more inventory then you definately assume you may want – that is so you’ve sufficient liquid for gravy later.
Simply earlier than it’s prepared, reheat the gravy and serve the cottage pie together with your favorite sides.
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🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve mine with peas and pickled purple cabbage (not forgetting that pretty meaty gravy). Listed here are another nice choices:
Now the query is: Are you going to be making a cottage pie butty with the leftovers? In case you are, I’ve left some directions within the notes part of the recipe card beneath.
? Steadily Requested Questions
Sure, make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you set it within the oven. Then rapidly cool, cowl and refrigerate, together with the gravy. It ought to be high-quality within the fridge for as much as a day.
Place within the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat it beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching.
I discover the mashed potato generally is a little watery after freezing, however as long as the pie is absolutely defrosted earlier than reheating, the pie ought to be high-quality after cooking and crisping up within the oven.
As above make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you set it within the oven. Then rapidly cool, cowl and freeze, together with the gravy.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day (guarantee it’s absolutely defrosted all through earlier than reheating), then place within the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat is beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching – it might want a splash of water and a whisk to take away any lumps (or you possibly can sieve it).
If I’m making a vegetarian model, I exploit quorn mince (or comparable different) with numerous very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian inventory – reminiscent of Knorr vegetable inventory pots. Chances are you’ll want to regulate the seasoning, as some vegetable shares will be fairly salty.
Different variation concepts:
- Prime with tacky mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use candy potato as an alternative of standard potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp floor coriander, 1 tsp floor cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy model. This tastes even higher with candy potato mash on prime.
🍲 Extra recipes with Mashed Potato
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Place the potatoes in a pan and canopy with chilly water. Deliver to the boil and simmer for quarter-hour.
900 g (2 lbs) floury potatoes
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Whereas the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
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Warmth the oil in a big frying pan and cook dinner the onions, celery, and carrot on medium warmth for 5 minutes till they begin to soften.
1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 massive onion, 1 stick celery, 1 carrot
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Add the minced beef and cook dinner till browned – breaking apart any items as you go. Add in half the salt and pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, and inventory (see professional tip 1). Simmer for five minutes.
450 g (1 lb) minced beef, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) beef inventory
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By this time, the potatoes ought to be cooked. Drain the potatoes and mash utilizing a potato ricer. Add the cream, butter, and remaining salt and pepper and blend collectively.
60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream, 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
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Combine the cornflour (cornstarch) with three tbsp of chilly water and stir into the simmering beef combination to thicken the sauce (you might want so as to add somewhat extra for those who prefer it thicker).
1 heaped tbsp cornflour
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Flip off the warmth and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat combination and place right into a 7”x 9” (18cmx23cm) baking dish. This could depart a lot of the gravy behind within the pan.
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Prime the meat with the mashed potatoes (see professional tip 2), and flatten out with a spoon. Tough up the highest of the mash with a fork (so that you get good crispy bits).
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Place within the oven for 20 minutes till the mashed potato is golden brown. Warmth up the gravy, then serve the cottage pie with the gravy, inexperienced veg and a few pickled purple cabbage.
inexperienced veg, pickled purple cabbage
**Professional Tip 2** Spooning the mashed potato on in blobs will provide help to get an excellent protection and assist stop the meat getting combined in with the mash while you unfold it. You merely want to affix up the blobs.
.Can I make it gluten free?
Sure – that is already a gluten free recipe – offering you utilize gluten free inventory.
Can I make it forward?
Sure, make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you set it within the oven. Then rapidly cool, cowl and refrigerate, together with the gravy. It ought to be high-quality within the fridge for as much as a day.
Place within the oven straight from the fridge, for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat it beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching.
Will it freeze?
I discover the mashed potato generally is a little watery after freezing, however as long as the pie is absolutely defrosted earlier than reheating, the pie ought to be high-quality after cooking and crisping up within the oven.
As above make the cottage pie proper as much as the purpose earlier than you set it within the oven. Then rapidly cool, cowl and freeze, together with the gravy.
Defrost within the fridge in a single day (guarantee it’s absolutely defrosted all through earlier than reheating), then place within the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till the potato is golden brown and the meat is beginning to bubble up on the sides.
Warmth the gravy in a pan till piping scorching – it might want a splash of water and a whisk to take away any lumps (or you possibly can sieve it).
Can I make a vegetarian model?
Sure. If I’m making a vegetarian model, I exploit quorn mince (or comparable different) with numerous very finely chopped mushrooms. Use a tasty vegetarian inventory – reminiscent of Knorr vegetable inventory pots. Chances are you’ll want to regulate the seasoning, as some vegetable shares will be fairly salty.
Different variation concepts:
- Prime with tacky mash – add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar to the mashed potato.
- Add bacon bits to the mashed potato.
- Use candy potato as an alternative of standard potato.
- Add in 1 tbsp curry powder, ½ tsp floor coriander, 1 tsp floor cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes when frying the mince for a spicy model. This tastes even higher with candy potato mash on prime.
Chris’s loopy leftover cottage pie butty directions
- Cool a leftover portion of cottage pie, then cowl and refrigerate.
- The subsequent morning warmth 1.5 tablespoon of impartial oil in a frying pan over a medium-high warmth.
- When the oil is scorching, add the cottage pie portion. Flatten down with a spatula (sure the minced beef and mash will meld collectively – that’s the concept apparently) and permit to cook dinner for 4-6 minutes, till crispy and browned beneath.
- Flip it over with a spatula, sprinkle with a salt and pepper, then fry once more for 3-4 additional minutes, giving it a squash with the spatula, till golden brown and absolutely heated by way of. Flip off the warmth and break up the cottage pie somewhat with the spatula.
- Butter two slices of thick white bread and cargo them up with the fried cottage pie (notice: ‘butty type’ is to load up one piece of bread with cottage pie and fold it over, then repeat with the opposite piece of bread. ‘Sandwich type’ is to load up one piece of bread, and place one other piece of bread on prime, then slice it in half).
- Smother the cottage pie with ketchup earlier than folding over the bread (or putting the second piece of bread on prime). Add further ketchup to the plate for dipping functions.
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Dietary Data is per serving with gravy, however not together with the serving suggestion of inexperienced greens and pickled purple cabbage/beetroot.
Energy: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 20g | Fats: 17g | Saturated Fats: 10g | Ldl cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 1064mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2120IU | Vitamin C: 15.5mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3.2mg
Vitamin info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
This put up was first revealed November 2028. Up to date in Feb 2021 with new pictures and video, then Feb 2025 with some housekeeping.
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