This easy Irish Cottage Pie Recipe, or Irish Shepherd's Pie, is comfort food at its finest. Made with ground meat and vegetables in a delicious homemade gravy topped with a mashed potato crust, this is a family favorite!
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This Irish cottage pie is one of my all-time favorite recipes. There's nothing like sitting down with a cozy bowl of meat and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes on a chilly evening.
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Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients may look like a lot, but it is mostly simple ingredients you likely already have.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground meat. I used both ground beef and ground lamb, but you could also just use ground beef, ground venison, or ground turkey if you are not a fan of lamb. You can even use leftover Smoked Leg Of Lamb, Smoked Lamb Chops, or Smoked Chuck Roast.
- Vegetables. Onion, celery, carrots, peas, and corn. I used frozen peas and carrots. If using fresh carrots, cook them with the celery. You can even use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
- Mashed potato topping. I like to use starchy potatoes like Russets or Yukon Golds, but you can also use red potatoes. Mash them with milk or cream for a creamy texture.
- Seasonings. Fresh garlic, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce red wine, salt, and black pepper combine to make a flavorful gravy. You could also use your favorite beer or Guinness instead of red wine.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Irish Cottage Pie
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Boil potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes until they are tender and can be pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot. Add butter and milk and mash the potatoes until soft and smooth.
While the potatoes are boiling, sauté chopped onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil for a few minutes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and lamb and cook until browned.
Add the frozen peas, carrots, and corn and cook for another few minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Add the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, rosemary, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to low, and simmer until the gravy has thickened.
Leave the meat mixture in the skillet or transfer to a 9x13-inch greased baking dish, casserole dish, or roaster. Spread the mashed potatoes over top and use a fork to make lines on top of the potatoes.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
Variations
- Add roasted garlic cloves to the mashed potatoes.
- Layer extra cheese between the meat and potatoes.
- Make individual meat pies in ramekins or mini cast-iron skillets - just reduce the cooking time.
- Add extra vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, parsnips, or sweet potatoes.
Expert Tips
- Sauté vegetables until they are just softened. Overcooking may make them mushy.
- Simmer the beef mixture until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Brush the potato topping with melted butter for a golden, crispy crust.
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving to help the layers set.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Cool the pie after baking, then wrap it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap, cover with tin foil, and heat in a 350-degree F oven for one hour or so until heated through.
Make-ahead: Assemble the pie but don't bake it. Cover it with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When baking, add an extra 15 minutes to the baking time as you are starting from cold.
Recipe FAQs
Cottage pie and Shepherd's pie are basically the same, except Shepherd's Pie traditionally uses ground lamb, while Cottage Pie usually uses ground beef.
If the filling is too liquidy, simmer the mixture longer, or make a cornstarch slurry by whisking a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water, then stir it into the filling and simmer until thickened.
Use a potato ricer or masher for the smoothest, creamiest mashed potatoes. Don't use an electric mixer, as it can make the potatoes gluey.
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Easy Irish Cottage Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For The Mashed Potato Crust
- 4 large russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
For the Meat Mixture
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 large celery stalks diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- ½ pound ground lamb
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen carrots
- 1 can corn drained, or 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary crushed
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Prepare Potatoes: Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot. Add butter and milk, mashing until they are smooth and creamy.
- Cook the Vegetables and Meat: While the potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery until softened. Add the ground beef and lamb and cook until browned and no longer pink. Mix in the peas, carrots, and corn, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Make the Gravy: Sprinkle flour over the meat and vegetables and stir to combine. Add the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, dried thyme, and rosemary. Stir to combine, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the gravy thickens.
- Assemble: Leave the meat mixture in the skillet if there is room, or transfer to a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish or casserole dish. Evenly spread the mashed potatoes over the top, using a fork to create lines. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F, until the potato topping is golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
- Serve: Let the cottage pie rest for 5-10 minutes to let the layers set, then serve. Enjoy!
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Notes
- Substitute all beef or even ground turkey or venison for a lighter version.
- Add any other vegetables you have on hand.
- If you prefer not to use red wine, use extra beef broth.
- Add a half cup of sour cream to the mashed potatoes to make them extra creamy.
- Store leftover cottage pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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