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A hearty consolation meals dinner, you may’t beat a conventional British Cottage Pie. This straightforward recipe is ideal for prepping upfront, batch cooking or for diving into leftovers the next day.
What’s Cottage Pie?
When you’re outdoors of the UK, Cottage Pie is a meat and potato meal that’s baked multi functional oven dish, with a wealthy, vegetable and floor beef sauce on the underside and mashed potato on high, baked for a hearty, scorching, effervescent end.
There’s a purpose this one has been round for hundreds of years.
Created out of frugal necessity and creativity, it nonetheless stays on many household meal plans right now, because of its comfort and sheer deliciousness.
Why you’ll love this Straightforward Cottage Pie recipe
⭐️ Batch cook dinner and freezer pleasant
⭐️ British traditional consolation meals
⭐️ Straightforward, scrumptious and economical
Sarah’s notes
➡️ Whereas not strictly conventional, I like so as to add a sprinkling of grated cheese on high of the mash on this recipe, as a result of it’s SO good.
➡️ This recipe is well adaptable, add different greens for those who fancy or use meat-free mince.
➡️ Make a double batch for those who can – one for the freezer, one for one more day!
Do-it-yourself Cottage Pie Elements Notes
Olive oil – Or sunflower or vegetable oil for those who want
Giant onion – Recent or pre-chopped frozen is ok
Carrots – Chopped finely
Celery – This provides a savoury depth of flavour
Beef mince – I like 5% or 10% however use whichever one you normally purchase to your individual style or funds
Plain flour – Substitute for cornflour to make gluten-free
Herbs – Dried thyme and sage (or use contemporary for those who want)
Beef inventory – From a dice is ok
Tomato puree – Purchase good high quality for those who can
Worcestershire sauce – Or Henderson’s Relish
Salt and pepper – Use loads on this dish
White potatoes – Go for one thing floury and fluffy in texture like King Edward or Maris Piper. My choice could be Desiree although
Butter – I like salted
Leftovers or Make Forward
A standard Cottage Pie is the right make-ahead dinner.
Within the fridge Prepare dinner as much as level 11 within the recipe beneath and you may preserve this recipe within the fridge for two days. Then bake as regular.
How one can freeze this Cottage Pie As soon as your pie is assembled (level 11 within the recipe beneath) you may chill after which freeze for as much as one month. If you find yourself prepared to make use of the pie, defrost within the fridge in a single day, then bake as regular from level 12 within the recipe. It could take slightly longer than regular to bake, as all the time, examine it’s piping scorching inside earlier than serving.
Technically, it may also be cooked from frozen – cook dinner at 160℃/fan 140℃/Gasoline 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 minutes till piping scorching within the centre. I’ve to say I want to defrost in a single day first because the pie gained’t dry out as a lot.
High ideas
Baking dishes
When you don’t need a pie dish out of motion within the freezer, otherwise you’re cooking a couple of batches, you should use foil trays with lids, like these ones from Amazon.
HACK: Frozen combined vegetable base
You possibly can change the person carrots, celery and onion substances for a frozen bag of ‘soffritto’, which comes already pre-chopped and all collectively in a single bag. (I like this cheat for plenty of recipes!)
It could be known as ‘vegetable base combine’ or one thing related in some supermarkets.
Swap for lamb mince
You may make this recipe with lamb mince as a substitute, which might make it a Shepherd’s Pie!
Extra make-ahead pie recipes…
FAQs
You should use something you want, however any veggies that may keep intact (like root veg) whereas it’s cooking is right. Peas work effectively, as does swede, leeks or sweetcorn.
You possibly can serve it up with a facet of greens or have it by itself. It does include its personal gravy/sauce, however I prefer it with a bit of additional gravy.
I like onion gravy, steamed cabbage or braised purple cabbage. Or one thing easy like carrots or broccoli.
They’re very related, however Cottage Pie is made with beef and Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb.
The easiest way is to be sure to don’t have an excessive amount of gravy/sauce by lowering it down loads, and to permit the meat combination to chill barely earlier than including your mash on high. This isn’t completely very important nevertheless it’s good to do in case you have time.
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Preheat your oven to 180℃/200℃/Gasoline mark 6.
Warmth your olive oil in a big, heavy bottomed pan. Add within the mince and fry for five minutes on a excessive warmth till browned throughout.
Add within the chopped greens and fry for an additional 10 minutes till softened.
Add flour and dried herbs, stir effectively to coat every little thing, cook dinner for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Pour in beef inventory, tomato puree and Worcester sauce.
Season with salt and pepper. That is private choice however I like so as to add a number of each on this recipe.
Cowl and simmer for 30 minutes. (See notes beneath)
In the meantime peel and chop your potatoes, place in chilly water, and produce to the boil for 15-20 minutes, relying on the kind of potato.
When the potatoes are prepared, drain and mash along with the butter and loads of salt and pepper.
Put all your meat into a big ovenproof dish. Unfold your mashed potato excessive, ruffle with a fork to offer these scrumptious crunchy bits. (You can too sprinkle some grated cheese on high if you want).
(At this level you may depart to chill after which freeze your pie for as much as one month to get forward along with your cooking).
Bake within the oven for 25-Half-hour till the mash is browning and the mince is effervescent on the sides.
Verify that it’s scorching inside. It could take a couple of minutes longer for those who cooked it straight from the fridge.
Gluten-free: Use cornflour fairly than plain or every other gluten-free flour
Swaps: When you’ve got veggies it’s worthwhile to dissipate, for those who’d like so as to add a splash of wine, for those who really feel like including flavouring to your mash and so forth… go for it. Any greens that may keep intact (like root veg) whereas it’s cooking is right. Peas work effectively, as does swede, leeks or sweetcorn
To make forward: Prepare dinner as much as level 11 within the recipe and you may preserve it within the fridge for two days. Then bake as regular
To make forward and freeze: As soon as your pie is assembled (level 11 within the recipe beneath) you may chill after which freeze. If you find yourself prepared to make use of the pie, defrost within the fridge in a single day, then bake as regular from level 12 within the recipe. It could take slightly longer than regular to bake, as all the time, examine it’s piping scorching inside earlier than serving
To cook dinner from frozen: Prepare dinner at 160℃/fan 140℃/Gasoline 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 minutes till piping scorching within the centre. I’ve to say I want to defrost in a single day first because the pie gained’t dry out as a lot
Serving recommendations: You possibly can serve with a facet of greens or have it by itself. It does include its personal gravy/sauce, however I prefer it with a bit of additional gravy
Energy: 502kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 35gFats: 16gSaturated Fats: 7gPolyunsaturated Fats: 1gMonounsaturated Fats: 7gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 93mgSodium: 530mgPotassium: 1972mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5343IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 6mg
Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
