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A dish of cottage pie next to a bowl of cottage pie and kale.

Ultimate Cottage Pie, A British Classic

Rich and delicious stewed beef and vegetables under a lovely layer of creamy mash. This classic British cottage pie is a winner all year round!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British, European
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Beef Stew
  • 750 g Beef Mince
  • 1 Yellow Onion Large
  • 2 Carrots
  • 5 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 500 ml Beef Stock
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 bunch Fresh Thyme
  • 2 Bay Leaves
For the Mashed Potatoes
  • 800 g Potatoes
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 150 ml Milk
  • 1 Egg Yolk

Method
 

For the Beef Stew
  1. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat.
  2. Fry off the beef mince in batches until nicely browned, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Dice the onion and add to the pot. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until soft and going a nice golden brown.
  4. Roughly chop the carrots and add them to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes until starting to soften.
  5. Finely mince or grate the garlic. Add in and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  6. Add in the tomato puree and mix well, cook for a minute or so then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Mix again.
  7. Tie the rosemary and garlic into a bundle and add with the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and put the lid on the pot. Simmer for an hour and a half or so, stirring every 15-30 minutes to prevent it from burning.
  8. Remove the lid for the final 30 minutes and bring the heat up to medium. Cook while stirring to reduce the sauce to a thick stew. Set aside to cool.
For the Mashed Potatoes
  1. Peel the potatoes and chop into 1.5-2cm pieces. Add to a pot with cool water and salt well.
  2. Put the pot on high heat and heat until boiling. Boil for 10 minutes then strain.
  3. Mash with the butter and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add in the milk in small amounts and mash to combine.
  5. Fold in the egg yolk.
To Bake
  1. Heat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Lay the beef stew out on the bottom of a roasting dish.
  3. Spoon the mash on top and spread evenly.
  4. Score the mash with a fork to create ridges, which will crisp up and brown nicely.
  5. Put the dish into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The potatoes should have crisped up at the edges but still be soft.
  6. Serve and enjoy!