Name: Cottage Pie with Cheese
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: Filling:; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 pounds ground beef; 1 ¾ teaspoon salt, divided; 1 ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 medium onion, chopped (about one cup); 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (about ¾ cup); 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups beef broth; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; ½ cup frozen peas; ¾ teaspoon dried thyme; Mashed Potato Topping:; 3 pounds potatoes (I prefer russet potatoes), peeled and chopped; 1 stick of softened butter (½ cup), divided; ½ cup heavy whipping cream, warmed in the microwave or on the stove; ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper; Optional garnish: 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

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This Cottage Pie with Cheese (also known as Shepherd’s Pie) has creamy Parmesan-crusted mashed potatoes over a rich and flavorful beef and vegetable filling. The buttery mashed potatoes, enhanced with cream and additional Parmesan, are amazing on their own, but combined with the savory beef filling with gravy, make the perfect comfort food. This is always a favorite at our house for both kids and adults.

What we love about this Cottage Pie Recipe

I love both the filling and the potato topping. They are both so flavorful by themselves, and then combined they are a home run. The delicious beef filling has onion, garlic, carrots, peas, and tomato paste mixed with a savory gravy that contains beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.

The potatoes are mashed with butter, cream, and Parmesan, and then are topped with melted butter and additional Parmesan. While baking, the potato topping turns golden and the Parmesan creates a perfect crust that is a lovely contrast to the fluffy potatoes underneath. Combined with the flavorful beef filling, it is a little of meat and potato comfort food heaven.

Looking for other comfort food family meals? Try our Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup, our Chili and Cornbread Casserole, or our Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy.

What you need to make this Cottage Pie

You will need the following ingredients:

Olive oil
Ground beef
Salt
Coarsely ground pepper
Butter
Onion
Carrot
Garlic
Tomato paste
All-purpose flour
Beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
Frozen peas
Dried thyme
Potatoes
Heavy whipping cream
Parmesan cheese
Optional garnish: parsley

Cottage Pie with Cheese Substitutions

I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:

You could use ground turkey or chicken in place of the beef.
You could use additional vegetables like celery, green beans or corn.
You could substitute frozen carrots for cooked carrots if needed, and add them with the frozen peas.
You could use milk or half-and half in place of the heavy whipping cream.
You could substitute the Parmesan cheese with cheddar or another cheese.
You could use all butter or oil instead of both.
A different flour or cornstarch could substitute for the all-purpose flour to make the dish gluten-free.
You could use chicken broth in place of the beef broth.
You can use fresh thyme leaves in place of the dried thyme or add rosemary as well if you like.

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1. In a large pot, add 3 ½ quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and potatoes, and cook the potatoes. While the potatoes cook, in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven pot, over medium heat, cook brown beef in the oil, breaking into smaller pieces as you cook, for 5-7 minutes until browned. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Drain any remaining grease.

Step 2. In the same pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes until the onion becomes softened and starts to look translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Add flour and stir to remove any lumps. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, worcestershire sauce, frozen peas, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, and thyme. Add beef and simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3. While the beef mixture simmers, drain potatoes and return to the pot to mash. Add 6 tablespoons butter, ½ cup warmed cream, ½ cup Parmesan, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash and stir until completely incorporated.

Step 4. If your skillet/Dutch oven is oven proof, you can spread the mashed potatoes gently and evenly over the top of the filling. f desired, you can use a fork to make a design in the mashed potatoes by dragging the fork through the potatoes. I did parallel lines, but you can do crosshatches or other shapes as well.

Step 5. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top of the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Place the cottage pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let the cottage pie rest for 10 minutes, and sprinkle with parsley if desired before serving.

Tips

I have cooked this in a 12-inch skillet or cast iron skillet, a 9×13 pan, or a 3.8 quart Dutch Oven braising pot and all worked successfully. The potato topping and filling will be a little thicker in the 12-inch skillet.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, I highly recommend this Lodge cast iron pan. I’ve had mine for 10 years and it is in excellent condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store and reheat Cottage Pie with Cheese?

a. Place in a covered container or cover with foil and refrigerate. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cottage Pie can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months.
b. Reheat in an oven-safe dish in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and reheat for an additional 5-10 minutes. Microwaving individual servings until warm in the microwave in 20-second intervals is also a possibility.
c. Cottage Pie is a great make ahead meal. You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate before serving. You can also cover it with foil once it has cooled after baking and freeze it for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and follow the instructions for reheating above.

What to serve with Cottage Pie?

Cottage pie is really a meal in itself. Some possible sides include bread, rolls, or biscuits, roasted vegetables, a green salad, or a side of fruit.

Cottage Pie with Cheese

Recipe by Risa

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: MainCuisine: British and Irish

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hour

minutes

This Cottage Pie with Cheese (also known as Shepherd’s Pie) has creamy Parmesan crusted mashed potatoes over a rich and flavorful beef and vegetable filling. The buttery mashed potatoes, enhanced with cream and additional Parmesan, are amazing on their own, but combined with the savory beef filling with gravy make the perfect comfort food. This is always a favorite at our house for both kids and adults.

Ingredients

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about one cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (about ¾ cup)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup frozen peas
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
Mashed Potato Topping:
3 pounds potatoes (I prefer russet potatoes), peeled and chopped
1 stick of softened butter (½ cup), divided
½ cup heavy whipping cream, warmed in the microwave or on the stove
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Optional garnish: 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large pot, add 3 ½ quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and potatoes and cook the potatoes until completely soft in the middle (about 20 minutes) so they will be smoother when mashed.
While potatoes cook, in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven pot, over medium heat, cook brown beef in the oil, breaking into smaller pieces as you cook, for 5-7 minutes until browned. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Drain any remaining grease.
In the same pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes until the onion becomes softened and starts to look translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Add flour and stir to remove any lumps. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add broth, worcestershire sauce, frozen peas, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, and thyme. Add beef and simmer for 15 minutes.
While the beef mixture simmers, drain potatoes and return to the pot to mash. Add 6 tablespoons butter, ½ cup warmed cream, ½ cup Parmesan, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash and stir until completely incorporated.
If your skillet/Dutch oven is oven proof, spread the mashed potatoes gently and evenly over the top of the filling. I dollop portions of potatoes over the entire beef filling and then spread it evenly with an offset spatula. You can also pour the filling into a 9×13 casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes if you prefer.
If desired, you can use a fork to make a design in the mashed potatoes by dragging the fork through the potatoes. I did parallel lines, but you can do crosshatches or other shapes as well.
In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top of the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Place the cottage pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Let the cottage pie rest for 10 minutes, and sprinkle with parsley if desired before serving.

Notes

The difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie is mainly the meat used in the filling. Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb and Cottage Pie with ground beef.
I have cooked this in a 12-inch skillet or cast iron skillet, a 9×13 pan, or a 3.8 quart Dutch Oven braising pot and all worked successfully. The potato topping and filling will be a little thicker in the 12-inch skillet.
I use an offset spatula to gently spread the potatoes over the filling evenly and it works really well.
If you want a thicker filling, let it simmer another 15 minutes or so. The thickness of the filling in the pan when preparing it will be about the same as it is after baking.