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Perfect Shepherd’s Pie-Style Cottage Pie

Perfect Shepherd’s Pie-Style Cottage Pie

A hearty family dinner made with savory ground beef, carrots, peas, rich gravy, and creamy garlic mashed potatoes, finished with golden Cheddar cheese.
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Ingredients

  • Mashed Potato Topping
  • 1 kg potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 5 g salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 15 g butter
  • 120 ml warm milk
  • 28 g grated Cheddar
  • Beef Filling
  • 15 ml olive oil
  • 120 g onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 200 g carrots diced
  • 200 g peas
  • 500 g ground beef
  • 1 g dried thyme
  • 1 g ground black pepper
  • 2 –3 g sweet paprika
  • 5 g salt
  • 30 g tomato paste
  • 32 g all-purpose flour
  • 480 ml water

Instructions
 

  • Place the diced potatoes and 1 garlic clove in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
  • Add 5 g salt, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until tender.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
  • Sauté the onion for 3–4 minutes.
  • Add carrots and cook for another 4–5 minutes.
  • Add minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds.
  • Add the ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart until browned.
  • Add thyme, black pepper, paprika, and salt.
  • Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the beef and stir for 1 minute.
  • Gradually add 480 ml water, stirring until smooth.
  • Simmer for 8–10 minutes until the gravy thickens.
  • Add peas during the last 3–4 minutes.
  • Drain the cooked potatoes and let them steam dry for 2–3 minutes.
  • Mash the potatoes and cooked garlic.
  • Stir in butter, then gradually add warm milk.
  • Mix in the egg yolk.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan.
  • Spread the beef filling in a 30 × 20 cm baking dish.
  • Spoon the mashed potato evenly over the filling and spread gently.
  • Rough up the surface with a fork.
  • Sprinkle with 28 g grated Cheddar.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling and golden.
  • Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, let the drained potatoes steam dry before mashing. The beef filling should be thick, not watery, before the mashed potatoes are added. Spoon the mash over the filling in several small portions instead of one large mound so the layers stay neat.