How do you make the top of cottage pie crispy?

Place the oven rack in the top one-third of the oven so it’s closer to the heating element. For an even crispier top, place the baked pie under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.

Can cottage pie be made ahead and frozen?

Yes, you can assemble this entire recipe and freeze it, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, place the shepherd’s pie on a baking sheet in the top rack of an oven preheated to 400°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Cottage Pie Recipe

Servings: 8 (12 cups total) 1x

Ingredients

For The Cottage Pie:

2 lbs lean ground beef (can sub ground turkey, ground lamb, or a mix)
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots (1 10-ounce bag)
1 cup frozen corn
6 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon fine salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour*
2 cups beef broth (may sub chicken broth or vegetable broth)

For The Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Water and salt
2 lbs russet potatoes (about 5 small-medium), peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ to 1 cup beef broth or beef stock (or use chicken broth or vegetable broth)
⅓ cup minced fresh chives or fresh thyme

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. At the same time, start cooking the potatoes: Fill a pot halfway with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.
In a very large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and continue to saute until the ground beef is cooked through, 5-7 minutes more. Drain grease from the skillet and return to the stovetop over medium-high heat.
When the water in the pot comes to a boil, add the peeled and chopped potatoes (to make the mashed potatoes).
Once the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, drain the water from the pot and return the potatoes to the pot. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes until they are well mashed and creamy, increasing the speed as you continue to whip for a full minute or two. Add ½ to 1 cup broth and continue to whip until the potatoes are very creamy. Add the chives and whip again until the chives are incorporated. Set the mashed potatoes aside. (Alternatively, you can whip the potatoes with a stand mixer or a hand potato masher.)
Back at the skillet with the ground beef, add the frozen peas and carrots, frozen corn, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, thyme, rosemary, and salt. Stir until well combined.
Sprinkle the flour all over the ingredients in the skillet and stir until dissolved.
Slowly pour the broth over the ground beef mixture and continue to heat and stir until the broth thickens to a gravy-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and place the skillet on a sheet pan (this helps prevent spillage in the oven). Gently add the mashed potatoes in a layer over the ground beef mixture. Use the back of a spoon to spread the potatoes evenly in a wavy pattern, or use a fork to draw a lined pattern.
Place the sheet pan with the skillet on the top rack in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish servings with additional chives or fresh parsley. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

This large heavy duty enamel-coated cast iron skillet is a team favorite dish for recipes like this one that go from stovetop to oven.

For gluten-free cottage pie, use an equal amount of 1-for-1 gluten-free flour.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 365
Fat: 14 g
(Sat Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 698 mg
Carbohydrate: 32 g
(Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 30 g
Cholesterol: 71 mg

Dietary

Dairy-Free Egg-Free Nut-free

Recipe By: Jessie Shafer