Cast Iron Skillet Cottage Pie
Today I’m excited to share with you one of my family’s favorite comfort foods. This Skillet Cottage Pie is so incredibly easy to make that the pie you see in the images below was actually made by my 10 year old!
Irish Cottage Pie Recipe
If you’ve ever though that cottage pie (or shepard’s pie) is just bland, boring meat and potatoes fare, I’m hoping to change your mind today with our flavorful yet family-friendly take on this Irish classic.
The difference between a cottage pie vs a shepard’s pie is pretty straight-forward: a cottage pie is made with beef, a shepard’s pie is made with lamb. You can use this recipe to make either by swapping out the ground beef for ground lamb.
Our cottage pie features a flavorful blend of cheesy mashed potatoes layered on top of a hearty mixture of tender, sautéed vegetables and ground beef simmered in a savory tomato-and-thyme infused gravy. The gravy keeps the veggie and beef mixture nice and juicy – no dry and flavorless cottage pie here!
And just to prove to you how easy this recipe is to make – my daughter Ella made this passed-down family recipe when she was just 10 years old!
This easy cottage pie recipe is naturally g-f as we use tomato paste to thicken the stew layer instead of cornstarch or flour. You can make it dairy-free, too by swapping out the cheese, milk and butter in the mashed potatoes for your favorite dairy-free alternatives.
More Irish Recipes
- Irish Colcannon Mashed Potatoes
- Lamb Shepard’s Pie
- One-Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew
- Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding
- Irish Soda Bread from In the Kids’ Kitchen (this is my second website that specializes in recipes for kids and by kids)
- Irish Stew from BBC Good Food
Cottage Pie Recipe FAQ
Can I prepare this Cottage Pie a couple days before baking? Yes, you can assemble and store the cottage pie for up to 3 days and then bake in the oven to rewarm. Keep in mind that in the recipe below, the oven time is just to broil the top of the pie, as the ingredients are going into the oven already hot, so you will need to adjust the cooking temperature to 350F for 25-35 minutes.
Cottage Pie Leftover Storage: Leftovers can be store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How to freeze Cottage Pie: Allow the pie to cool completely before wrapping or transferring to airtight freezer containers (XXX). Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Cottage Pie Recipe Tips:
- While making your own mashed potato topping using Russet potatoes is pretty quick and easy, you can use boxed (dehydrated) mashed potatoes instead to make this recipe even easier.
- For a great meal prep, you can prepare the cottage pie in individual ramekins or small tinfoil containers for individual servings. These can also be frozen to be enjoyed up to 3 months later.
- While Russet potatoes are traditionally used to make cottage pie due to the fluffy texture when mashed, you can use other types of potatoes based on what’s available to you. Yukon Gold is a good substitute.
- Also, while we stayed traditional with carrots, onions, celery and green peas for vegetables, feel free to add or substitute the vegetables to match your personal tastes. (IE, corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc)
- If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, you can substitute it with soy sauce or a combination of soy sauce and a dash of vinegar for a similar umami flavor.
Ingredients to Make Cottage Pie
- Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
- Ground Beef
- Oil, if needed
- Carrots, peeled and diced
- Celery, diced
- Onion, diced
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Garlic Cloves, minced
- Tomato Paste
- Frozen Green Peas
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Beef Broth
- Butter
- Milk, to taste
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: swap out the vegetables for your personal preferences, such as corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Cast-Iron Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Spatula
- Potato Masher
- Cheese Grater
How to Make Cottage Pie
Peel and dice potatoes and place in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-heat and once hot, add the ground beef. Cook until well-browned and no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove beef to a clean plate, then add the diced carrots, celery and onion to the skillet. (Add additional oil if needed.)
Cook vegetables until softened, then stir in salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Cook 1 minute.
Return the beef to the skillet, then add the tomato paste, green peas, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat.
Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain off the water and return potatoes to the pot (off heat). Mash potatoes, then beat in the butter, milk and cheddar cheese.
Set oven to broil.
Scoop the potatoes overtop of the beef and smooth down to create an even layer to cover the skillet.
Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the top of the potatoes are slightly browned.
Makes 4-6 servings.
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Easy Cottage Pie
Our cottage pie features a flavorful blend of cheesy mashed potatoes layered on top of a hearty mixture of tender, sautéed vegetables and ground beef simmered in a savory tomato-and-thyme infused gravy. The gravy keeps the veggie and beef mixture nice and juicy - no dry and flavorless cottage pie here!
Ingredients
- 1lb Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1lb Ground Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Oil, if needed
- 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 Stalks Celery, diced
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Frozen Green Peas
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Milk, to taste
- 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes and place in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-heat and once hot, add the ground beef. Cook until well-browned and no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove beef to a clean plate, then add the diced carrots, celery and onion to the skillet. (Add additional oil if needed.)
- Cook vegetables until softened, then stir in salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Cook 1 minute.
- Return the beef to the skillet, then add the tomato paste, green peas, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat.
- Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain off the water and return potatoes to the pot (off heat). Mash potatoes, then beat in the butter, milk and cheddar cheese.
- Set oven to broil.
- Scoop the potatoes overtop of the beef and smooth down to create an even layer to cover the skillet.
- Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the top of the potatoes are slightly browned.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 422Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 426mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 27g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy cottage pie recipe as much as mine does!
For more ways to serve beef, check out our full beef recipe collection here:
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