Oh, cheddar topped cottage pie! When it comes to cottage pie and shepherd’s pie, I’m pretty much a girl who can’t say no.
It’s not like I don’t have multiple recipes for various variations of this recipe. And during the course of collecting all of these recipes and blogging about them incessantly, I have learned the difference between shepherd’s pie (lamb) and cottage pie (beef).
I’ve made it with and without peas, with sliced potatoes and mashed potatoes. You’d think I’d be over it by now.
But no. Because I realized I had not yet tried it with cheddar cheese mixed into the mashed potatoes, and that was all the excuse I needed to put it back on the menu for the one millionth time.
It was a new variation! It included cheese! I had to.
ingredients you need to make this comfort food supper!
here’s how to make the best cottage pie ever!
STEP 1: Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
STEP 2: Add 6 peeled and chopped carrots, 6 stalks of sliced celery, one peeled and chopped onion, and a little dried thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Add a quarter cup each of flour and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
STEP 4: Add 2 pounds of ground beef and cook until browned. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
STEP 5: Preheat oven to 450. Mix 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into 4 cups of prepared mashed potatoes. (You can either buy the prepared potatoes or if you are making your own, try my friend Ree’s recipe – it’s AMAZING.
STEP 6: Put the beef mixture into a large casserole and spread mashed potatoes over the top of it. Scatter 1/2 cup cheese over the top.
STEP 7: Bake until golden and bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool slightly and then serve!
You can serve this any old way you like as long as everyone gets their fair share of mashed potatoes, but I love serving it in bowls with spoons. It just feels so cozy!
More Tips for making this delectable cottage pie!
They are usually in the dairy section of your grocery store, and I find them to be a pretty good alternative to homemade. Especially since we are going to mix in some cheddar for extra flavor!
It can! Make it all the way up through Step 6, and when you are ready to serve, bring it to room temperature and do the baking part.
This casserole is often called shepherd’s pie (including by me!), but technically shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. If you make it with beef, it’s called cottage pie.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and I promise to answer pronto!
So, the next time you want a completely soothing and wonderful comfort food, or want to make something with “cottage” in the title, or (like me) just can’t resist recipes that include mashed potatoes…here’s your recipe.
I’ll take mine in a bowl with extra mashed potatoes, please.
Cheesy Cottage Pie
This comfort food recipe for cheesy cottage pie features a beef and veggie filled casserole topped with cheesy mashed potatoes!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed potatoes (either store-bought or homemade. I like The Pioneer Woman’s recipe)
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 6 medium carrots, cut into halves and then quarters
- 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (as always, I love Cabot!)
- 4 cups mashed potatoes, either store-bought or homemade. I love this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add flour and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
- Add beef and cook until browned. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 450. Mix 1 cup of cheddar into mashed potatoes. Put the beef mixture into a large casserole and spread mashed potatoes over the top of it. Scatter 1/2 cup cheese over the top.
- Bake until golden and bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool slightly and then serve!
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
Keywords: kid friendly cheddar topped cottage pie, how to make cottage pie, cottage pie recipe
OTHER COMFORT FOOD CASSEROLE RECIPES WE LOVE!
 Everyone’s favorite retro meal, beef stroganoff, now in casserole form. This easy recipe for beef stroganoff casserole will have them asking for seconds! |
 This easy recipe for cheesy cauliflower casserole will have everyone asking for a second serving of vegetables! |
 This easy recipe for Tater Tot Shepherd’s Pie has all the flavors of that classic casserole, with the extra zip of Tater Tots! |
Martha in KS says
Perfect recipe for the first day of Fall! I love cottage pie & adding cheese is brilliant. I’ll be making it as soon as I buy potatoes (I’ve been watching for them to go on sale). Thanks for another great recipe! HAPPY FALL!!
Hurray! And happy fall right back to you, my friend! :)