The UK and Ireland are not necessarily known for their »haute cuisine« or a lot of dishes that are cooked all over the world. France, Italy, or Spain are a bit more popular in that area. No offense! ;P Nonetheless, there are, of course, dishes in the UK/Ireland that are really delicious. Bangers ‘n’ Mash, for example. Or a simple and delicious Cottage Pie! Both dishes are really great and also very filling…

Most people will probably know this dish here as »Shepherd’s Pie«, I assume. But that’s not the correct name here. Shepherd’s Pie is made with minced lamb meat and not beef or pork. Changing that one ingredient leads to a complete different dish. Well, at least the name changes. The rest is actually pretty much the same. Same veggies in the filling, same potato topping… just a different type of protein.
I always preferred Cottage Pie over Shepherd’s Pie. I’m just not a fan of lamb meat. I know other people like it, but I don’t. As soon as something smells or tastes even slightly like sheep or goat, I’m out. That’s why I can’t eat coat’s cheese or drink goat’s milk. Many people like it, but the thought of it alone almost makes me gag…

I have eaten lamb as well as goat’s cheese and stuff like that – so I know what I am talking about. I’m not one of those that just does not like something for some strange reasons, but never actually tried it. Been there, done that, didn’t like it ;P
I’m not quite sure why a Cottage or Shepherd’s Pie is specified/called a pie. It’s no pie, it’s a casserole dish with a saucy base and a potato topping. Why would you call that a pie?! Does anyone know?!

Anyway. Whether you call it Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie – this casserole dish is defined by a (more or less spicy) minced meat filling with some veggies and mushrooms and, of course, a topping of mashed potato. When you scoop this onto your plate, you quickly realize it has nothing to do with a pie. It’s just baked mashed potatoes with a meat sauce. Not very pretty, I have to admit, but extremely tasty!
The meat sauce for a cottage pie can be prepared in different ways. Which veggies you add to the meat sauce is up to you. Carrots and peas are used very often, but leeks or root vegetables also work well. We like to prepare our Cottage Pie with a more chunky mashed potato topping. If you make it from fresh potatoes, you can easily control the texture of the mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes made from a box are also fine, but that is usually quite mushy ;P
Well. If you like dishes like this one here, you might want to take a look at some other recipes here. I got a nice Farmer’s Stew with Minced Meat & Potatoes that is very popular with family and friends – especially during the colder season. If you prefer pasta to potatoes, you might want to try my Classic Lasagna Bolognese. Also made with minced meat and so good! It takes a bit longer to prepare, but the extra time is well spent here. Guests always love it! ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
For the meat sauce:
some oil for frying
9 oz. (250g) brown mushrooms, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
17.6 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
2 tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt, pepper
some Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
1 cup (250ml) veggie stock
3.5 oz. (100g) processed cheese* (Schmelzkäse)
5.3 oz. (150g) frozen peas
some flour to thicken the sauce (if needed)
For the mashed potato topping:
26.5 oz. (750g) floury potatoes
1 /2 cup (120ml) milk
0.7 oz. (20g) butter
some freshly grated nutmeg
salt, pepper
about 5.3 oz. (150g) cheddar (white and/or yellow), grated & divided
(4 Portionen)
Für die Hackfleischsoße:
etwas Öl zum Anbraten
250g braune Champignons, gewürfelt
1 große Zwiebel, gewürfelt
2 Knoblauchzehen
2 Karotten, gewürfelt
500g Hackfleisch (gemischt)
2 EL Tomatenmark
1 TL Oregano
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas Worcestershiresauce (optional)
120ml trockener Rotwein
250ml Gemüsebrühe
100g Schmelzkäse*
150g TK-Erbsen
etwas Mehl zum Andicken (optional)
Für das Kartoffel Topping:
750g Kartoffeln (mehligkochend)
120ml Milch
20g Butter
etwas frisch geriebene Muskatnuss
Salz, Pfeffer
etwa 150g Cheddar (weiß und/oder gelb), gerieben & aufgeteilt


DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the mushrooms and veggies. Clean and roughly dice the mushrooms. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic cloves. Peel the carrots and cut into small cubes. Set everything aside. Peel the potatoes for the mashed potato topping and cut into equal-sized pieces. Add to a pot with salted water and set aside as well.
2. Heat up a large Dutch oven (or pot) with some oil. Add the diced mushrooms and fry over high heat until they have browned nicely and lost some of their volume – this may take a few minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven/pot and set aside. Add a little more oil and sauté the chopped onions until soft and glossy. Next, add the garlic and carrot. Cook for a few minutes until the carrots have softened a little. Make some space in the center of the Dutch oven/pot and add the minced meat. Cook until nicely browned. As soon as the meat got some color, add the tomato purée, mix it in, and cook briefly to release some flavor. Season with the dried oregano, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce (that one is optional). Deglaze with the red wine. Let the wine cook until it is almost completely gone. Add the veggie stock and processed cheese and stir in. Finally, add the frozen peas. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, place the pot with the potatoes on the stove, bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes. As soon as the potatoes are done drain them and mash them with a potato masher*. Next, add the milk and butter and mix until you get a creamy mashed potato mixture. Season with fresh nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then fold in about 1.8 oz. (50g) of the cheddar.
4. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Season the finished meat sauce with a little more salt and pepper to your liking. The sauce should be quite thick – if the sauce is still very liquid you can thicken it with a bit of flour.
5. Transfer the meat sauce to a large casserole/baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle everything with the remaining cheese. Bake the cottage pie in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes – the cheese should be melted, bubbly, and golden. Let the cottage pie cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Note: If your casserole/baking dish is very full, I recommend placing it on a baking sheet or putting a large piece of baking parchment underneath – the cottage pie can bubble a lot and possibly overflow. You don’t want the oven to get too messy ;)
1. Als Erstes die Pilze und das Gemüse vorbereiten. Dafür die Champignons säubern und grob würfeln. Die Zwiebel und die Knoblauchzehen schälen und fein würfeln. Die Karotten schälen und in kleine Würfel schneiden. Alles zur Seite stellen. Die Kartoffeln für das Topping schälen und in gleich große Stücke schneiden. In einen Topf mit Salzwasser geben und ebenfalls zur Seite stellen.
2. Einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf mit etwas Öl erhitzen. Die gewürfelten Pilze dazugeben und bei hoher Hitzezufuhr anbraten, bis sie rundum Farbe bekommen und einiges an Volumen verloren haben – kann einige Minuten dauern. Aus dem Topf nehmen und zur Seite stellen. Noch etwas Öl nachlegen und dann die gehackten Zwiebeln glasig andünsten. Sobald die Zwiebelstücke weich sind, den Knoblauch und die Karottenstücke dazugeben. Für einige Minuten mitkochen lassen, bis die Karotten etwas weicher geworden sind. In der Mitte des Topfes etwas Platz machen und dann das Hackfleisch krümelig anbraten. Sobald das Fleisch schön gebräunt ist, das Tomatenmark dazugeben, untermischen und kurz anrösten lassen. Mit Oregano, Salz, Pfeffer und Worcestershiresauce (optional) würzen. Mit dem Rotwein ablöschen und den Wein fast komplett einkochen lassen. Gemüsebrühe und Schmelzkäse dazugeben und unterrühren. Als Letztes die TK-Erbsen dazugeben und dann die Soße etwa 20-25 Minuten bei reduzierter Hitzezufuhr köcheln lassen.
3. Sobald die Soße kocht, die vorbereiteten Kartoffeln im Topf mit dem Salzwasser ebenfalls auf den Herd stellen, zum Kochen bringen und dann etwa 20 Minuten köcheln lassen. Wenn die Kartoffeln gar sind, das Wasser abschütten. Die Kartoffeln dann mit einem Kartoffelstampfer* zerdrücken, die Milch und Butter dazugeben und alles zu einem cremigen Kartoffelbrei vermengen. Mit frischer Muskatnuss, Salz und Pfeffer würzen, dann etwa 50g des Cheddar unterheben.
4. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Die fertige Hackfleischsoße ggf. noch etwas mit Salz und Pfeffer nachwürzen. Sollte die Flüssigkeit im Topf nicht ganz so stark angedickt haben, kann man noch ein wenig Mehl dazugeben und unterrühren.
5. Das Hackfleisch in eine große Auflaufform füllen und den Kartoffelbrei gleichmäßig darauf verteilen. Mit dem verbliebenen Käse bestreuen und dann im vorgeheizten Ofen für etwa 30 Minuten backen – de Käse sollte eine schöne goldgelbe Farbe bekommen haben. Vor dem Servieren einige Minuten abkühlen und setzen lassen.
Tipp: Sollte die Auflaufform sehr voll sein, empfiehlt es sich, ein Blech oder Backpapier unter die Form zu geben, da der Cottage Pie ordentlich blubbern und ggf. überlaufen kann – der Ofen soll ja nicht komplett eingesaut werden ;)

Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Easy Cottage Pie (not a Shepherd’s Pie)
- Prep Time: 00:50
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 01:30
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Description
If you like Shepherd’s Pie you probably like Cottage Pie as well. It’s pretty much the same, just a different type of meat ;P Absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
some oil for frying
9 oz. (250g) brown mushrooms, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
17.6 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
2 tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt, pepper
some Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
1 cup (250ml) veggie stock
3.5 oz. (100g) processed cheese* (Schmelzkäse)
5.3 oz. (150g) frozen peas
some flour to thicken the sauce (if needed)
For the mashed potato topping:
26.5 oz. (750g) floury potatoes
1 /2 cup (120ml) milk
0.7 oz. (20g) butter
some freshly grated nutmeg
salt, pepper
about 5.3 oz. (150g) cheddar (white and/or yellow), grated & divided
Instructions
1. Start with the mushrooms and veggies. Clean and roughly dice the mushrooms. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic cloves. Peel the carrots and cut into small cubes. Set everything aside. Peel the potatoes for the mashed potato topping and cut into equal-sized pieces. Add to a pot with salted water and set aside as well.
2. Heat up a large Dutch oven (or pot) with some oil. Add the diced mushrooms and fry over high heat until they have browned nicely and lost some of their volume – this may take a few minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven/pot and set aside. Add a little more oil and sauté the chopped onions until soft and glossy. Next, add the garlic and carrot. Cook for a few minutes until the carrots have softened a little. Make some space in the center of the Dutch oven/pot and add the minced meat. Cook until nicely browned. As soon as the meat got some color, add the tomato purée, mix it in, and cook briefly to release some flavor. Season with the dried oregano, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce (that one is optional). Deglaze with the red wine. Let the wine cook until it is almost completely gone. Add the veggie stock and processed cheese and stir in. Finally, add the frozen peas. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, place the pot with the potatoes on the stove, bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes. As soon as the potatoes are done drain them and mash them with a potato masher*. Next, add the milk and butter and mix until you get a creamy mashed potato mixture. Season with fresh nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then fold in about 1.8 oz. (50g) of the cheddar.
4. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Season the finished meat sauce with a little more salt and pepper to your liking. The sauce should be quite thick – if the sauce is still very liquid you can thicken it with a bit of flour.
5. Transfer the meat sauce to a large casserole/baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle everything with the remaining cheese. Bake the cottage pie in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes – the cheese should be melted, bubbly, and golden. Let the cottage pie cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
If your casserole/baking dish is very full, I recommend placing it on a baking sheet or putting a large piece of baking parchment underneath – the cottage pie can bubble a lot and possibly overflow. You don’t want the oven to get too messy ;)
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.