Cottage pie recipe

Leftovers, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Made too much filling for your cottage pie? It needn't go to waste – try our leftover beef recipes for some inspiration. 

The best way to reheat is in a microwave for a few minutes until piping hot. You can also reheat in a hot oven. You might want to cover in foil to prevent the top getting too dark and the filling drying out. 

Freeze this cottage pie recipe either in portions or as a whole meal, which will last about three months in the freezer. Either way, wrap tightly in clingfilm to prevent freezer-burn. 

Make sure you leave plenty of time for defrosting. It's best to leave it in the fridge overnight. Make sure the cottage pie is completely defrosted before reheating again. Use the temperature and cooking times recommended in the recipe. 

Cottage pie is such a hearty meal you don’t have to serve it with anything if you’re happy with just the pie, however, if you’re looking for a side, a steaming bowl of freshly cooked greens is a good choice. Opt for Tenderstem broccoli, runner beans, or peas, of if you want something a little more decadent, try creamy spinach with cheese. 

If you’re serving cottage pie in the summer months you might opt for a lighter side of a freshly prepared salad. Some people also serve bread and butter with their cottage pie to mop up leftover juices from the pies' gravy.

There are several small tweaks you can make to cut the fat content in this pie. When frying off the onions in step 1, replace the oil with several sprays of low-calorie cooking spray. Use beef with a lower fat content - 5% or less.

Leave out the butter in the final step before cooking. You could replace a third of the meat with finely chopped mushrooms, or make it meat-free using low-fat Quorn (if you're serving to vegetarians, be aware the Worcestershire Sauce contains anchovies). For a twist on the cottage pie classic, vegetarians and meat eaters alike will love this Quorn Shepherd's pie. 

You could swap classic potatoes for sweet potatoes instead. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, as well as a good source of vitamins B and C.

Yes, our recipe includes one can of chopped tomatoes. If you have a glut of homemade tomatoes you need to use, chop them up into small pieces. You will need around 400g and may need a little more hot water to loosen the mixture. The store cupboard staple can be used in a plethora of dishes –discover things to make with tinned tomatoes.

There is no cheese in the filling of a cottage pie but some recipes recommend topping the mash with grated cheddar. This will give the top a delicious rich flavour and the cheese will bubble and turn golden. You can also enrich the mashed potato with an egg yolk if you like. This also helps give it a deep golden colour. 

It's likely the meaty base was too runny when you added the potatoes on top. Make sure you add enough flour to thicken up the sauce and make it nice and glossy. If it seems too thin before you add the potatoes, just bubble it for a few more minutes so that it thickens up.

It's also possible the potatoes were too wet when you added them. Make sure to drain them well, and leave them to sit for a few minutes before you make the mashed potato recipe . If they are too wet when you add them, the water will seep down into the sauce as it cooks. 

The main difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie is the meat. Cottage pie is traditionally made with minced beef, whereas shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb. Mary Berry's dauphinois shepherd's pie is a wonderful variation of the classic, and is bound to please any dinner guest.

Both are made with minced meat, packed with veggies like onions and carrots and both are topped with mashed potato and an optional sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese.