This traditional English meal with a twist, Cottage Pie with Cheese, is the ultimate comfort food. Topped with a layer of creamy potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese, everyone will be begging for seconds!
Absolutely delicious! This is one of my family's favorite dinners. I followed your lead and piped the potatoes on top of the meat layer ~ so pretty and fun!
-Amy
When I have no idea what to make for dinner, I usually turn to Cottage Pie. Honestly, who can pass up a good ol' heaping scoop of it? Plus, this dish makes excellent leftovers, so you can easily take it to work for lunch the next day.
You can't go wrong serving this with a side of these fluffy Japanese Milk Bread rolls and a classic English Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert!
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❤️ Why You'll Love This
- Creamy & Comforting – Fluffy mashed potatoes are blended with sour cream, butter, and garlic to make the ultimate topping for this comfort food!
- Rich & Hearty – The savory meat filling is simmered with herbs, tomato paste, and a splash of red wine or grape juice for bold, comforting flavor in every bite.
- Family-Friendly Favorite – Packed with veggies, protein, and melty cheddar cheese, it’s a crowd-pleasing meal all made in one dish.
🥘 Ingredients
- Garlic powder: I use garlic powder since it blends in easier with the potatoes rather than minced garlic.
- Seasonings: This recipe combines rosemary, parsley, thyme, and paprika to add all of that delicious flavor to the dish. These seasonings can be fresh or dried. I used dried for convenience.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Potatoes: I usually use Russet potatoes in this recipe, but any variety would work great (gold is really good!) When I'm in a time crunch, I'll even substitute in instant potatoes.
- Half and half: Milk or heavy cream can also be used. Use whatever you have on hand!
- Sour cream: Greek yogurt makes a great substitute here.
- Red wine or grape juice: Grape juice can be used instead of red wine. Since the two have similar flavor profiles, grape juice can be substituted 1:1. I've also had success with using ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ¼ cup water.
🔪 How to Make Cottage Pie with Cheese
Step 1: Peel and dice potatoes. Place potatoes into a large pot of boiling water and boil 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Step 2: Drain and mash potatoes. Mix in potato ingredients and continue mashing until smooth. Set aside.
Step 3: In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat, cook meat, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper until meat is browned.
Step 4: Add remaining ingredients for meat layer and cook until veggies are no longer frozen.
Step 5: Top the meat layer with mashed potatoes.
Step 6: Add shredded cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes at 350° F.
🌟Expert Tips
- To save time, cook the meat mixture while the potatoes are boiling.
- Use starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold. These types mash up smooth and fluffy! Or if you're in a pinch, opt for instant potatoes instead.
- After browning the meat, make sure you drain off the fat from it. You don't want greasy filling!
- I love using beef bouillon to make broth. The bouillon lasts a while, so you can keep it in your pantry and have it on hand when you need it for a recipe.
- For a pretty presentation, use a piping bag or Ziploc bag to pipe the mashed potatoes on the top.
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving. Letting it cool helps it to hold together better.
💭 FAQs
Cottage pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Cottage pie is freezer-friendly. Prepare the recipe as directed, but do not top with cheese or bake. Store dish in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake for 30 minutes in 350F oven or until cooked through.
Nope! The traditional version of cottage pie does not have cheese. But it's a fun twist if you like cheesy comfort food! Feel free to omit it if you want a more traditional take on it.
Cottage Pie contains beef, Shepherd's pie contains lamb. Both pies are topped with a layer of mashed potatoes.
Yes, it can! The only downside of reheating the dish in the microwave is that it might end up soggy and lose its crisp texture and flavor. While it may not be as good as the day you make it, it still makes for great leftovers!
🍲 More British Recipes to Try
📋 Recipe
Cottage Pie with Cheese
Ingredients
Potato Layer:
- 4 large russet potatoes cut into 1" chunks
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup half and half
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Meat Layer:
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey or lamb
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup red wine or grape juice or ¼ cup red wine vinegar & ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Peel and dice potatoes. Place potatoes into a large pot of boiling water and boil on high for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking you can start on the meat layer. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute until fragrant.
- Drain and mash the potatoes using a potato masher. Mix in half and half, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, and parsley, and mash until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the meat and cook until browned. Drain the fat.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste, rosemary, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, red wine/grape juice, and bay leaves. Bring to a slow boil and let the mixture thicken for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and remove the bay leaves. Add in the frozen vegetables and simmer until no longer frozen, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Leave the mixture in the cast iron skillet. Spread or pipe the potato mixture on the meat mixture until the entire pie is covered. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until heated and the edges are golden brown.
Notes
-
- Storage Instructions: Cottage pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It's also freezer-friendly. Prepare the recipe as directed, but do not top with cheese or bake. Store dish in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake for 30 minutes in 350F oven or until cooked through.
- Time Saver: To save time, cook the meat mixture while the potatoes are boiling.
- Potatoes: Use starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold. These types mash up smooth and fluffy! Or if you're in a pinch, opt for instant potatoes instead.
- Beef Bouillon: I love using beef bouillon to make broth. The bouillon lasts a while, so you can keep it in your pantry and have it on hand when you need it for a recipe.
Ashley Amundsen says
I've made this recipe dozens of times for my family, and no one ever gets sick of it. It's delicious and so easy to make! It's the perfect comfort food recipe to add to your dinner rotations.
Ksenia says
This may be labelled “easy”, but this recipe is nothing to scoff at! It delivered all the flavor in a fraction of the time and effort it normally takes me to make shepherd’s pie.
Amy Casey says
Absolutely delicious! This is one of my family's favorite dinners. I followed your lead and piped the potatoes on top of the meat layer ~ so pretty and fun!
Marie says
Shepherd's Pie is such a timeless classic! It was my favorite dish as a child and unsurprisingly, it's now my son's too 🙂 I don't usually use as many flavorings in the meat when I make mine so I tried it your way and it was so, so good! My family said it was the best I ever made 😉
Maggie says
Delicious shepherds pie. My entire family loved it. None left. lol.
Lauren Michael Harris says
This shepards pie is the absolute best comfort food for fall. My family loved it and already asked if I can make it again next week!