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Serving of Irish cottage pie on a white plate, golden ridged mashed potato top over ground beef filling with carrots and peas in gravy, baking dish and thyme behind

Irish Cottage Pie

A thick ground beef, carrot and pea filling in rich gravy under a golden, fork-ridged mashed potato top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Calories: 570
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the beef filling
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef 85% lean (680 g)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups beef broth 300 ml
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup frozen peas
For the potato topping
  • 2 1/2 lb russet or Yukon Gold potatoes 1.1 kg, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • salt to taste
  • chopped parsley for serving

Method
 

  1. Cover the potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrots about 6 minutes until the onion is soft, adding the garlic for the last minute.
  3. Raise the heat, add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains (160°F / 71°C). Spoon off excess fat.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and flour for 1 minute. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until thick. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat.
  5. Drain the potatoes, let them steam 2 minutes, then mash with the butter and warm milk. Season, cool a few minutes and beat in the egg yolk.
  6. Spread the filling in a 3-quart baking dish, cover with the mashed potatoes and make ridges with a fork.
  7. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Broil 2 to 3 minutes for more color if desired. Rest 10 minutes and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

Make ahead: assemble, cool, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours; bake from cold at 400°F (200°C) for 35 to 45 minutes.
Freezing: freeze the assembled, unbaked pie up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Substitutions: ground lamb for a shepherd's pie; replace 1/2 cup broth with dry Irish stout; about 5 cups leftover or store-bought mashed potatoes.
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.