Cottage Pie (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cottage pie and shepherd's pie? ›

The main difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's pie is cottage pie uses ground beef, and Shepherd's pie uses ground lamb. Both pies are cooked with vegetables and gravy and baked under a layer of mashed potatoes. To make Shepherd's pie using this recipe, simply substitute ground lamb.

Cottage pie is a meat pie made with potatoes, veggies, beef, and a beef stock (or broth).

The modern day cottage pie may now contain vegetables, lentils or beans in place of meat, and may have cheese sprinkled on top of the potato, although the addition of cheese with the beef Cottage pie is a recent addition, and is not found with lamb Shepherd's pie.

Add the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, stock cube, bay leaf and salt and pepper to the mince mixture. Fill the tomato tin with water and add that as well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce. Add the peas at the last minute and mix through.

Simply put, after making a weekend roast, unused meat was repurposed into a pie using affordable potatoes as a crust. This frugal, albeit clever, meal suggests the name “cottage pie” referred to the consumers of the dish—poor Irish peasants (remember, they lived in cottages).

The term cottage pie originated in England in the 18th Century to refer to a peasant food dish. It was a meal usually eaten by poorer people living in small cottages because the ingredients were affordable. Over time, it became more popular and was crowned cottage pie.

How long can you keep Cottage Pie in the fridge? Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Cottage Pie in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

Minced beef with turnip, onion and swede in a rich, red wine gravy, topped with mashed potato.

This inexpensive, warming pie is a logical extension of cottage and shepherd's pie: veg and pork mince cooked with herbs and topped with buttery mash.

It's hearty, nourishing and packed with vegetables and flavour. Each serving provides 483 kcal, 32.5g protein, 51g carbohydrates (of which 16.5g sugars), 14g fat (of which 6g saturates), 12g fibre and 1.2g salt.

Is shepherd's pie Irish or English? ›

The dish originates from the British Isles, but some might argue that it is an Irish dish by origin. The name "Shepherd's Pie" was first recorded in an 1877 cookbook. In this same cookbook, it was noted that the dish was of Scottish origin. During the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, money was very tight.

The term cottage pie originated in England in the 18th Century to refer to a peasant food dish. It was a meal usually eaten by poorer people living in small cottages because the ingredients were affordable. Over time, it became more popular and was crowned cottage pie.

It's traditionally made with minced meat (usually ground lamb), gravy, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. You may also hear it called "cottage pie." The two terms are used interchangeably, but technically traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and traditional cottage pie is made with ground beef.

Most workers ate their meat, potatoes and corn separately but workers of mainly Asian origins, combined their rations to create shepherd's pie, a more communal dish. The French-Canadian railway workers liked this new concoction, adopted the dish, and called it “pâté chinois”, which loosely translates to Chinese pie.

The dish originates from the British Isles, but some might argue that it is an Irish dish by origin. The name "Shepherd's Pie" was first recorded in an 1877 cookbook. In this same cookbook, it was noted that the dish was of Scottish origin. During the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, money was very tight.