Cheesy Cottage Pie
The first time I split the topping down the middle, I dumped both mashes on at once and they slid into each other. Kind of a mess. Now I spoon the white side in first, press a spatula along the center like a little wall, and fill the other half with the orange one. Clean line every time.
The filling’s the part I don’t rush. I let the red wine bubble almost dry before the broth goes in, then give it a good 20 minutes uncovered until it coats a spoon and stops looking soupy. Honestly, a loose filling is the main reason a cottage pie turns sloppy, since it pushes up through the mash in the oven. Ten minutes of cooling before topping helps too. We eat it with buttered corn and broccolini on the side.
This cheesy cottage pie is a Sunday dinner that stretches into Monday lunch. Two toppings, one dish. Half is buttery mashed potato, half is sweet potato and carrot, both under sharp cheddar with roasted tomato slices that turn jammy at the edges. It keeps four days in the fridge and reheats well, covered, at 350°F.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic
- Turn the heat to medium-high, add the beef with the salt and pepper, and break it up with a spoon. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains and the bottom of the pan starts to brown. Spoon off any excess fat.1 1/2 lb lean ground beef, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Sprinkle in the flour and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits, letting it bubble until almost gone. Add the broth, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats a spoon.2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 cup dry red wine, 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves
- While the filling simmers, put the russet potatoes in one saucepan and the sweet potato and carrots in another. Cover both with cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain well and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.1 1/4 lb russet potatoes, 3/4 lb sweet potato, 2 medium carrots
- Mash the russets with 2 tbsp butter, the warm milk and half the salt until smooth. Mash the sweet potato and carrots with the remaining butter and salt. Keep the two mashes separate.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/3 cup whole milk, 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Remove the bay leaves, stir the peas into the filling and spread it in a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Let it cool for 10 minutes so the mash sits on top instead of sinking.1/2 cup frozen peas
- Spoon the potato mash over one half of the filling and the sweet potato mash over the other, using a spatula down the middle to keep the line clean. Rough up the surface with a fork, scatter the cheddar over both halves, lay the tomato rounds on top and add a pinch of pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the edges bubble.1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, 1 Roma tomato
- Let the pie rest for 5 minutes before cutting so the filling settles. Serve with corn and broccolini on the side.
Nutrition
Notes
No wine? Use more beef broth plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar. For an all-potato top, double the russets and skip the sweet potato and carrots.
You might also like our Authentic French Beef Bourguignon.
did the spatula trick down the middle and it actually stayed neat. my kids fought over the potato side lol, next time im doing all russet for them and sweet potato for me
good flavor, the wine gravy is really nice. only had 80/20 beef so i drained it after browning, would of been greasy otherwise. took closer to 30 min to get golden in my oven
swapped the wine for extra broth and a splash of red wine vinegar, still super rich. the tomato slices on top get all jammy, dont skip them