If you have pot roast leftovers or leftover shredded or ground beef you can make this easy cottage pie recipe quickly. It's often called a shepherd's pie but a traditional shepherd's pie recipe is made with lamb. You can swap the shredded beef in this recipe for shredded lamb, if you prefer.
A cottage pie has a layer of meat and vegetables and a layer of potatoes. It's then oven baked to golden perfection.
Enjoy this easy cottage pie as a full meal paired with these other recipes:
- Side: Roasted Brussels Sprouts– This classic side dish pairs well with a cottage pie or shepherd's pie.
- Bread: Parmesan Garlic Bread – This is good with everything. We usually make it with a store bought french bread but you can also make your own.
- Drink: Red Wine Sangria – This is one of my all time favorite sangria recipes. Use the rest of the wine leftover from your marinara recipe.
- Dessert: Rose Black and White Shortbread Cookies – These are so pretty!
FAQs About Cottage Pie
Allow your cottage pie to cool then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Allow the cottage pie to cool then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. It can be reheated from frozen. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
Make sure your beef is gluten free and hasn't used any all purpose wheat flowers to thicken the gravy. This recipe is naturally gluten free.
Americans often use the name Shepherd's pie for what is actually cottage pie. There is no difference between the two other than the type of meat in each. A shepherd's pie recipe has lamb (makes sense) while a cottage pie has beef.
One trick to prevent the potatoes from sinking into the shredded beef and vegetable mixture is to allow the beef to cool before adding the potatoes.
PERFECT
POT ROAST
CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
Easy Cottage Pie Ingredients:
- Vegetables: Use yukon gold potatoes, carrots, yellow onions and frozen peas. You could also add celery or any other vegetables you like.
- Dairy: We use real butter and heavy cream to make the potatoes creamy. If you are avoiding dairy you could use whole fat coconut milk from a can and a butter substitute.
- Beef: Use roast beef or pot roast leftovers for the meat component. Alternatively, you can use ground beef or lamb (shepherd's pie). Save some of the natural gravy from your pot roast to use in this recipe.
- Spices: Salt, pepper, paprika and fresh time give this cottage pie recipe the right amount of spice.
Don't Forget Dessert
How to Make Cottage Pie (Shepherd's Pie Recipe With Beef):
If you already have leftover mashed potatoes you can skip the steps to make mashed potatoes. This easy cottage pie recipe recipe assumes you already have pot roast leftovers (or ground beef or lamb). If you need to cook the meat you should do that before step 1.
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 350°F. You'll cook the cottage pie in the oven after you saute the vegetables on the stove and make the mashed potatoes.
2. Cook Potatoes
Peel and dice the potatoes. Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon of sea salt in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are cooked. Drain.
Cover potatoes with water. 
Add butter, cream, salt and pepper to cooked potatoes.
3. Mash potatoes.
Mash drained potatoes, ¼ cup butter, heavy cream and milk until smooth and creamy. We prefer using a hand held potato masher tool but you can also gently mix with a hand mixer.
4. Heat skillet.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a skillet.
Put carrots and onions in pan with butter. 
Saute carrots and onions.
5. Saute carrots and onions.
Saute onions and carrots until onions are soft and translucent. Add peas and leftover pot roast to the vegetable mixture.
4. Add peas.
Add peas to the vegetable mixture. Stir.
Add frozen peas. 
Add beef.
7. Add beef.
Add leftover pot roast to the vegetable mixture.
8. Spread beef mixture in baking dish.
Spread meat/vegetable mixture into a casserole dish. Add as much gravy as you have left in the pot. (Follow packet instructions to make extra gravy if desired and stir into the meat/vegetable mixture.)
Stir to combine. 
Spread beef mix in dish.
9. Top with mashed potatoes.
Top beef and vegetable mixture with the mashed potatoes.
10. Sprinkle with seasonings.
Sprinkle paprika, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme over the top of the casserole.
Mash potatoes. 
Top beef mixture with the mashed potatoes.
11. Top potatoes with melted butter.
Melt remaining butter and pour over the mashed potatoes.
12. Bake.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the gravy is bubbling from the bottom of the dish and the potatoes are beginning to brown.
Pour butter over top of mashed potatoes. 
Distribute butter evenly over top of potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- ½ cup salted butter, divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 cup carrots - diced
- ½ cup yellow onions - diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3-4 cups leftover pot roast and gravy - or 1 pound ground beef plus one packet of beef gravy
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- fresh thyme - for garnish
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon of sea salt in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are cooked. Drain.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mash drained potatoes, ¼ cup butter, heavy cream and milk until smooth and creamy.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, onions and carrots over medium heat in a skillet.
- Saute vegetables until onions are soft and translucent. Add peas and leftover pot roast to the vegetable mixture.
- Spread meat/vegetable mixture into a casserole dish. Add as much gravy as you have left in the pot. (Follow packet instructions to make extra gravy if desired and stir into the meat/vegetable mixture.)
- Top with the mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle paprika, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme over the top of the casserole.
- Melt remaining butter and pour over the mashed potatoes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the gravy is bubbling from the bottom of the dish and the potatoes are beginning to brown.
Notes
Nutrition
PUMPKIN PIE
CUPCAKE
BLACKBERRY
DUMP CAKE
Leave a Reply