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Cottage Pie

Classic cottage pie with a saucy pork and beef mince filling and buttery mashed potato top.

Prep: 15 minCook: 50 minTotal: 65 minServings: 4

Ingredients

Filling

  • 500g beef mince
  • 500g pork mince
  • 2 onions (diced)
  • 2 carrots (diced small)
  • 2 celery stalks (diced small)
  • 2tbsp tomato paste
  • 2tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 300ml beef stock
  • splash of wine (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1tsp dried thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

Mash

  • 800g floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper or kruimig)
  • 50g butter
  • splash of milk
  • salt
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Instructions

Mash

  1. 1

    Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, mash with butter and milk. Season with salt.

Filling

  1. 2

    Sweat onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

  2. 3

    Add beef and pork mince and brown well, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.

  3. 4

    Add tomato paste and dried thyme, cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with wine if using, then add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until thickened. Season and remove bay leaves.

Assemble & bake

  1. 5

    Tip filling into an oven dish. Spread mash on top and rough up with a fork. Bake at 200°C (fan) for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Notes

Optional: grate cheddar over the mash before baking, or brush with melted butter for extra colour. Drain excess fat after browning as the pork renders more than pure beef.