This is a recipe from my Gram who is English. She served this often, and I have modified her recipe for my family and this is it. A great alternative to Shepherd's Pie.
Great! I used frozen mixed vegetables instead of green peas and added canned tomato soup to the beef because it seemed dry. Easy, straightforward comfort food.
Read MoreThree stars because there is no cream of XXX soup, but that might have been the best part of this recipe. I too found it to be very bland and a little dry. May try again and deviate from the recipe.
Read MoreGreat! I used frozen mixed vegetables instead of green peas and added canned tomato soup to the beef because it seemed dry. Easy, straightforward comfort food.
For variation: Lightly saute fresh mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil. Add ground beef until just brown. Drain. Add jar beef gravy and Worcester sauce to taste. Mix well. Spoon into 9" square baking dish. Cover with prepared mashed potatoes. Ring top with baby carrots. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Enjoy.
This was easy & tastey. The only thing I changed was the sugar&ketchup sauce went on the top. The leftovers made for awesome sandwiches the next day. Thanks!
Wonderful cottage pie, reminds me of the meals I had in my British school's canteen. I followed the recipe for everything except the green peas coz I do not have them on hand. I use a bigger onion instead. I forgot to dot extra butter on top, but it still came out crisp with adequately brown. Next time, I will try other's suggestion of using some ketchup to make the source. My kids love it and it's definitely a keeper.
Superb basic recipe that leaves lots of room for customization. I will use this recipe again, but I look forward to adding my own spin such as more meat, gravy, etc.
I did spice it up with some extra garlic salt...i used italian spices instead of the herbs de provence and i used instant potatoes to help with time. I used frozen peas...and they cooked just fine...came out done as expected. And to make it all perfect i added shredded cheese on top. My husband and i really liked it. This is a yummy, yummy comfort food!
I think that this is a great base recipe to start with! I added a few things to tailor the recipe to my family's personal tastes and it turned out great. ADDED: About 1/2C - 3/4C of sliced mushrooms, sauteed in just a bit of bacon drippings w/ 1 clove of minced garlic. About 1/2C - 3/4C of whole kernel canned corn. A few splashes (2-3Tbsp maybe) Worcestershire sauce. Several extra cloves of minced garlic! Several generous shakes of garlic salt & onion powder. (No plain salt added.) Maybe 2Tbsp of ketchup - not much, just enough to add a little extra moisture/flavor. A generous handful of mild cheddar cheese on top of the potato crust. It turned out so tasty! I think that that little extra burst of flavor from the handful of mild cheddar on top REALLY added a lot! I was unsure of the addition of nutmeg - it just seemed odd - but after tasting the finished product will definitely do so again. I will certainly be making this dish in the future, and am looking forward to trying out new flavor combinations! Thanks KMOMMYZ!
We made it pretty much as outlined and it was perfect. I did not have the herbes de Provence so used Thyme and Basil (dried) . The nutmeg is a very important ingredient. I cooked the peas quickly in the microwave before putting in the pie as someone had mentioned theirs were not done. Ours were perfectly cooked this way. The potatoes were great!!! I used ground sirloin and I added a tiny bit of bisto to it, not much though, don' think anyone would notice it not being there but you could put in some salt instead. (not much)
Three stars because there is no cream of XXX soup, but that might have been the best part of this recipe. I too found it to be very bland and a little dry. May try again and deviate from the recipe.
Very Tastey and Easy!! I did make some changes to the recipe. Trying to get my family to eat veggies is hard, so I added a can of corn. I used canned veggies because that's what I had. 2 cans of peas and 1 corn. Also added Sharp cheddar cheese to the top of the potatoes then added the extra butter on top as the last step. It made this delightful cheese crust. To Die for!! So simple and good.
Must try--sounds authentic form my experience; glad there's no tomoato sauce/paste. I think ideally, though, I would substitute carrots for the peas to make this a Shepherd's Pie.
Very good, but it only needs a little HP sauce added to the meat mixture to be perfect!!
My family enjoyed this recipe and I enjoyed making it because of its simplicity. This was my first time using herbes de Provence and we thought it added a great taste to the dish. I would like to try this dish with fresh veggies and sauteed onions next time.
I used a roughly double recipe with Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb blend in the place of the Herbs au Provence and broiled on a handful of sharp cheddar at the end for a crunchy top - and the crowd went wild, although a little gravy would stick it together well. I also added more garlic powder & onion powder to the potatoes, and used a frozen mixed little vegetables blend for the peas.
I have this in the oven right now. So easy and economical, and the great thing is you can easily modify with whatever you have on hand. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef. I had no peas, but I added diced carrot and green bell-pepper and layered some spinach over the meat before topping with potatoes. I also had a little hunk of Parmesan cheese in the fridge so I grated it up and mixed some into the potatoes and put the rest on top. I'm baking it for about 30 minutes rather than the 20 recommended, because it didn't seem like it was browning much. It smells great! Can't wait to eat it.
another easy stretch recipe for the working mother of 5. putting it in the menu mix.
Sooooooo good. It was the first time I had ever really *cooked* for my family and everyone loved it. I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, so I used peas instead, fresh marjoram rather than dried (just doubled the amount), and two pounds of russet potatoes. The final product was savoury and flavourful and juicy. I highly recommend it.
This was awesome! I just made it and my b/f thought it was great too. Made a couple changes based on previous reviews: added 1 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 tsp. A-1 sauce, 2 dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a splash of Rooster (hot) sauce. I was lazy so used Idahoan Butter & Herb instant potatoes and sprinkled the top with a little paprika. Yum! So good! The herbs de Provence and nutmeg really revved up the flavor.
I had to substitute spices I had on hand for the herbs de providence, and I used tarragon in place of fennel(one of the spices that was called for as a sub). The only other change I made was instant potatoes with a little cheese on top because my potatoes had gone bad. This was absolutely delicious! I will be making it often.
This is a simple and delicious one-dish meal. It is a great way to get young children to eat their veggies. I substituted ground turkey and added a splash of Worcestershire for extra flavor. For the peas, I used a bag of seasoned frozen peas with mushrooms, which also added a lot of flavor. Added in some carrots for extra vitamins and all set.
I thought this was bland and dry. Followed recipe except I used cauliflower instead of peas. I liked the garlic in the mashed potatoes. Will not use this recipe again
Simple, tasty, and hearty. It also keeps well being frozen BEFORE it gets baked off in the oven. Changes I made: I did not have Herbs de Provence, so I used a blend of marjoram, thyme, sage, and parsley. I also diced 1 medium carrot, 1 small cooking onion, and 1 large celery stalk and cooked them off with the meat. I put a layer of freshly, finely grated parmesean cheese over the potatoes to form a sort of crust as it bakes.
I added salt and pepper to the mashed potatoes as a final touch and this seemed to bring out the flavor of the meat a bit. Otherwise, I stuck with the recipe and it turned out quite moist, not dry at all.
A little on the dry side and the frozen peas did not cook thoroughly. Typical cottage pie has some type of gravy or liquid added to the meat to make it more moist. Any suggestions?
I made a brown gravy to moisten the meat but I did drain the meat of it's fat..so maybe that was my problem. :) Hubby and I liked it, kids not so much.
I made it with top round steak , pressure cooked it flakes apart like pot roast , wonderful flavor , mixed frozen vegetables and Idahoan instant mashed potatoes Unbelievable ! It was awesome and will definitely go that again
I used ground turkey to opt for a healthier version. Also added a dab of tomato paste to add flavor to the meat. sautéed mushrooms in with the meat. Overall good meal but would probably season meat a little more next time.
A little on the dry side and the frozen peas did not cook thoroughly. Typical cottage pie has some type of gravy or liquid added to the meat to make it more moist. Any suggestions?
I add mushrooms, onions, (random other veggies like carrots and corn), and every spice in my cabinet. Everyone loves this meal when I cook it. EVERYONE.
While I loved the simplicity of this recipe, it is not as good as another one I use. Flavors are good, but my family really enjoys having more of a gravy, and there is none with this recipe. If I were to make this again (but probably will rely on my other recipe), I'd make a roux after browning the beef, and then add some beef broth for a gravy. But, again, the appeal of this recipe is how quick and simple it is.
Update 11/26/18 I had changed this up to suit my new way of eating low carb. I substituted mashed cauliflower for the Yukon potatoes to lower the carbs,but left the butter,salt,pepper garlic. I used 20/ 80 ground beef mix,and mixed in 1 cup of bone beef broth,( I used Trader Joes) added chopped mushrooms,onion and a dash of dried thyme,and added to the hamburger/ gravy a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.I thickened the gravy with a ample shake of Xanthan gum,a non-gluten thickener. I subbed out the peas for thawed French cut green beans and topped the cauliflower mash with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. This came out very delicious and even my big carb loving hubby enjoyed this dish. This recipe leaves alot of room to change up for substitutions that still taste great.
I like this recipe because it's a very quick, easy Shepherd's Pie (modified) for a great weeknight meal. If I don't have leftover mashed potatoes to use up, I just use a package of the instant potatoes. So simple and delicious.
It looked very dry to me but basically a good recipe. I added mushrooms to the meat and a packet of mushroom gravy (1 cup) and milk to the potatoes. that made it moist enough for me.
I used instant potatoes because I needed something quick. We loved it but found that using unsalted butter didn’t quite give it enough salt flavor. I would use salted butter next time.
I love it!!! I do add a little tomato sauce and a box of organic cream of chicken to the meat sauce to creamy it up! I also put the mashed garlic mashed cauliflower on top from this site as we don;t eat white potatoes! DELICIOUS!!!!
I thought this was bland and dry. Followed recipe except I used cauliflower instead of peas. I liked the garlic in the mashed potatoes. Will not use this recipe again
This recipe is wonderful!I live in Ukraine so we don't have many ingredients to use so this recipe was perfect!I added cumin and chili pepper to it!When I did the recipe the pie was not dry.Delicious!Will make again!
YUM! Although I didn't have everything I needed, for instance, the Herbes de Provence, I googled substitutes and had enough of those (rosemary, thyme, marjoram and Mrs. Dash) for great flavor, and I did have nutmeg. Also had (garlic) flavored instant potatoes rather than real. I made the dish close to the recipe, with the substitutes, and no salt or pepper (low sodium diet for one and allergies for the other) and loved it, with plenty of leftovers. I took the peas out of the freezer about 5 minutes before I added them to the pan and they cooked through just fine. Thank you!
I made this on a snowy evening and it was delicious comfort food. Only a couple critiques: first of all (and I can't believe I, the potato's biggest fan, am saying this), I think the potato-to-filling ratio was a little overbalanced in favor of the potatoes; and second, I might go a little lighter next time on the herbes de provence. (The meat was not bland at all to me, but the herbs overpowered the garlic, salt, etc.) Definitely good if you need a heavy, filling plate of warming deliciousness!
This turned out perfectly! I made it as the recipe called. Only change was using corn due to our love for mashed potatoes mixed with potatoes. Excellent dish!
Fun quick recipe will definitely do again. I Idid add cheese to the top after about 18 minutes in the oven. But that was the only change.
This is a good basic recipe. I substitute ground bison for the beef & always included sauteed mushrooms. A quick, easy way to add veggies is to use a frozen pack of peas with pearl onions, which I add to the bison mixture last, after the mushrooms & Worcestershire sauce for a flavor boost. Sometimes I'll add small chunks of cheddar to the mashed potato topping. This is the most popular dish at potlucks!
This recipe was divine. I love the way my potatoes came out so flavorful! I fried one red bell pepper and some onions to the beef to add flavor and I think it was a good addition, the more vegetables the better! I also added curry to the beef very much recommended
Unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations. This pie did not taste anything like the cottage pies I was used to eating while living in England. All the cottage pies I have had were savory and very moist; while this one was dry. However, it does provide a basic starting point, though I would omit the herbs de provence and nutmeg and substitute some chopped onions and gravy granules to make the meat savory. Thank you for the recipe :)
This was very good! I put shredded cheese on top for more flavor. I didn't have Herbs de Provence or nutmeg, so I just used thyme and it was still pretty good.
Very good. I served it in individual french onion soup bowls. After reading the reviews I tried to make it less dry by adding water, beef bouillon, and corn starch. It worked but I used a little too much bouillon b/c it was a little too salty (but I didn't know how to make gravy off hand and thought cream soup would be too much)
Really yummy, but really heavy. I mixed 2 sweet potatoes with 2 russet to make it slightly healthier and I think the sweet potato went really well with the nuttiness of the seasoning.
I never tell -people to change anything but 1 and 1/2 cups peas????? way to much and the beef your way was very dry add some cream of mushroom soup and wow its great sorry its just the way it is
This was delicious. It was easy to make and very tasty. I used the homemade Herbs de Provence recipe which created a unique flavor that I had never done in the kitchen before. I was sad when it was gone.
Great base recipe. I don't use many processed in ingredients when cooking meals so this suited me just fine. I added diced onion, carrots and zucchini. I sauteed them for a few minutes in avocado oil then added the meat. Once cooked through I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
After reading some comments and a few other recipes I decided this was going to need some more gravy, and some more flavor in the meat. I used a teaspoon of "better than boulion" beef flavor in a cup of water with some cornstarch. I also added Worcestershire sauce, tarragon, onion powder and marjoram and topped with aged white cheddar. Turned out great!
This was very good! The seasoning on the meat was great. I added four or five cloves of garlic to the water with the potatoes and then mashed them in to get a gentler garlic flavor. I also added half and half to the potatoes to make them smoother and richer. I added a layer of sautéed Baby Bella mushrooms bc I like mushrooms but it would be just as good without. I had no problem with the frozen peas, but I had also prepared in advance for dinner later in the day so they had time to thaw. I put it in the oven several hours after topping with potatoes for half hour at 350. Then I turned on the low broiler just to toast the top a bit more. only company is that is needed more salt and maybe gravy...
My husband is from London so I modified the recipe to make it more English, to make it more like home for him. I took out the extra spices, added gravy to the beef and made it very basic. Beef mixed with gravy, mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. The only other ingredients I used were a bit of salt and pepper and for the mashed potatoes I used milk and butter. He said it tasted like the traditional English dish, which made him very happy and me as well. Having never made this before, this recipe did really help me have some idea of what to do, as well as baking time. Thank you!
Was way too dry and bland. I roasted the garlic and added it to the mashed potatoes. The potatoes needed cream or milk. Also took forever to heat through. I'll tweak the recipe and try agin, add butter to the meat, and some kind of jus. Had great potential, but fell flat.
This was great! My daughter said "I won't eat anything with peas in it, but I love this!" I added some canned mushrooms, too. I used Bob Evans mashed potatoes because I already had them, so why mash them from scratch? It could not have been easier -- or more tasty. I will definitely make this comfort dish again.
I live in a vegetarian household. I prepared this recipe according to the directions, only I substituted the ground beef with "Beyond Meat Beyond Beef - Ground Beef". It turned out perfectly. The herbes de provence and nutmeg gave the dish a lovely spicey flavour.
I made this last night for me and my daughters. The only things I changed were to add 1/2 teaspoons dried beef base, then I didn't have herbs de provence, so I simply added thyme, basil and savory (didn't have fennel). Last, I used sliced baby carrots instead of peas, simply because I don't like peas! I agree, the nutmeg is a must, it adds a fantastic flavor. Next week will be trying it with ground turkey.
Sauteed mushrooms & onion with ground beef. Covered with tomato sauce and layered with kernel corn and black beans. Seasoned with basil & thyme. Topped with shredded cheese & potatoes. Very good.
I like this recipe. It’s so easy (especially when using store-bought mashed!) and the flavor is mild. Everyone had seconds— even my wife, and she never does. This is a recipe we will make again and again.
I've made this recipe several times, it's as easy to make as it is good to eat. One thing I add for extra flavor is about a combined 1/2 to 3/4 cup slurry* of beef "Better than Bouillon" and flour for a rich beefy gravy. I stir it into the cooked meat mixture, just before covering it with the mashed potatoes. Sometimes I'll add whatever vegetable I have on hand, such as carrots, celery, mushrooms, onion, and garlic if I don't have frozen peas. *Be sure to thoroughly mix the slurry in hot water to avoid lumps and undercooked flour.
Great. I followed the recipe initially, but used twice the amount of Herbs de Provence called for. Also, after a couple of tries, I added some Gruyere to the top of the mashed potatoes. Everything was a hit...will be making this more often in the future
Like most, I added a couple of things. I added about a cup of brown gravy and added a onion and some carrots. I will for sure make again. Also, I used Wagyu ground beef. I know it’s expensive, but it is absolutely incredible beef!
I really liked this. I made it without any modifications except for using a 1-1/2 qt . casserole dish, due to not having a proper pie dish. Very tasty, thanks to the Herbes de Provence. Added only a little salt and pepper. Good size, too, since I only cook for myself. This gives me dinner for 4 nights.
Made it per recipe and felt like it needed some gravy or something to give it some substance. The seasonings in the ground beef were flavorful, But it’s just like eating browned ground with seasonings.
This was way too dry! There is not milk or cream in the mashed potatoes and not enough butter to compensate for that fact. Also the meat mixture had no gravy! With every good Cottage or Shepard pie, there is a gravy made with the ground beef bottom layer. If it had some sort of moisture, then it would have definitely tasted better. I think the person who posted this recipe forgot an ingredient or two.
I liked this recipe. As many others state, this is either a good base or it might seem a bit bland. I got to agree with those observations. This pie has commonalities with shepherd's pie, so using those commonalities I made my slightly differing version. I replaced 1/2 a cup of peas for sauteed white mushrooms, used 1 tsp of tomato paste, 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, used 1 cup of beef broth, 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped onion to give flavor and moisture to the beef mixture. I added 2 tbsp of flour to thicken the mixture. For the mashed potatoes, I used about 2 tbsp of butter and melted it with about 1/3 cup of fat free evaporated milk to add it to the mashed potatoes instead of using sour cream. I roughly used 1 tbsp for dabbing the top. I loved the mild flavor. It even was somewhat sweet, but delicious. I will certainly make it again with my changes and trying a bit less of the Worcestershire sauce and a bit more nutmeg to balance the sweetness. I could even try it without the tsp of tomato paste and see the outcome. However, if you want it a bit moister definitely add beef broth and the flour and let it simmer to your preferred thickness. I know that my changes might sound like a lot but it is really not.
I grew up in Europe and spent time in England. This is the very best cottage pie I have ever had! The herbs de provence and nutmeg to season the meat were pure genius! Loved it. Only changes I made were to add 6 cloves of pressed garlic to the meat while browning (this is a staple in our house and goes into every meat dish) and half and half to my mashed potatoes (because it needed to be used up).
It was very easy to make, but it needs a little something- I can't put my finger on it- just something more to punch up the flavor. Thank you for posting the recipe though. I will make it again and probably experiment with different ingredients.
Delicious! Another favorite for my family! Really easy to make and you could even prepare most of it ahead and pop in the oven for a bit longer to warm up.
I really liked it! I did make a few changes. I used half a jar of gravy. I mixed it in with the meat.
After reading all the reviews and heeding the advice of several reviewers, I wanted to follow the recipe as close as possible but was prepared just in case. First I cooked the meat without any seasoning so I could drain the fat and then season. Didn't have any Herbs de Provance so used Italian herb blend instead and added the nutmeg. Internet said was a good substitute. To make my own HDP would have needed mint, summer savory, and lavender. I don't keep those herbs in my pantry and HDP is too expensive to buy. The flavor was good but the meat was dry. I kept looking at the the recipe to see if I forgot something--nope. At this point I did't see any point in going forward with the recipe as is--dire need for some moisture or some kind of sauce. So I added: 1/2 c. chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 4 squirts of worcestershire, 1 Tbs. tomato paste, and a 6 oz. jar of sliced mushrooms, and cooked a few minutes with 1/4 c. water. Tasted--still not right. Added 1 tsp. Kitchen bouquet, 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt, 1 package of brown gravy mix, and 1 c. water. Cooked a few minutes and sauce seemed like it would work. Assembled the pie in an 8X8 casserole. It's the same size as a 9-inch deep dish or 2 quart casserole. In retrospect to all that gravy stuff, I think a can of stewed tomatoes and some salt would have been just fine. Assembled pie, dotted with only 2 Tbs. butter and a handful of cheese; and baked at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to get some brown on top
This recipe is great comfort food! The only change I made was to sauté 1/2 and onion and add to the beef before baking.
Yummy. So simple. Did add 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese to top when I took it out of the oven.
Super simple and cries out for any kind of leftover protein. I used chopped lamb shoulder, a bit of sauce made from the marinade that was left over, frozen peas and pearl onions, chopped fresh mushrooms and leftover mashed. This is a brilliant way to stretch a leftover protein. Seasonings are open to the imagination and depend upon the protein.
