This Easy Cottage Pie recipe is smokey, salty, and utterly delicious! My recipe is a mashup of English and Spanish flavors. First, I’ve added Spanish Chorizo to ground beef, which has fantastic smokey paprika that gives a smokey and peppery bite. The beef and chorizo are cooked in a rich and savory gravy filled with veggies and herbs. On top of all this goodness are potatoes loaded with flavor! My recipe adds manchego, parmesan, and garlic to the potatoes so they’re incredibly creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. In the oven, the potatoes get toasty and crispy – perfection!
A Cottage Pie recipe is similar to Shepherd’s Pie, but has ground beef vs. lamb. But either one is also a great way to use up any leftovers you have! You can use leftover mashed potatoes, any veggies, and really any meat that you have…shredded or ground chicken, ground beef, even shredded pork. Want more leftover protein dinner ideas? Check out this freebie printable: 30 Leftover Protein Dinner Ideas!
Nourishing Potatoes in this Cottage Pie
I grew up eating lots of potatoes in the midwest. My Mom made them for dinner a few times a week. We would have baked, roasted slices, grilled, pan fried, and butter and chive potatoes. With my kids, I have not made potatoes as much, so much of their experience with potatoes has been as fries. Obviously, fries are not the healthiest of potato options, so we can tend to think of potatoes as unhealthy.
After completing my studies at Cornell for a Certification in Nutrition, I really started to look at natural, real foods and what they can provide us. I discovered that the potato can be nourishing and good for you. Especially when compared to other sides, like processed pastas. Potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One russet potato has 168 calories, 5g of protein, 4g of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, and manganese. For more benefits of potatoes, check out this article from Healthline.com! Of course, you should consult with your medical provider for any dietary concerns.
Here are some other delicious Potato Recipes to try!
- Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
- Patatas Bravas with Chorizo
- Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Potatoes, & Veggies
- Loaded Potato Salad with Bacon, Egg, Spinach!
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
WHY CHORIZO?
I added Chorizo to this recipe for 2 reasons. First, my husband and I LOVE chorizo! His family is from Portugal and he spent every summer there growing up. So, he had a lot of Chorizo which is so prevalent in Spain and Portugal. His family turned me on and I’ve never looked back.
Second, I wanted to find a way to add more flavor and spice to this very traditional dish. NOT hot spice, just flavor. The paprika that is in Chorizo is perfect! It’s smokey and peppery and brings in a whole new level of deep wonderful flavor that contrasts so well with the creamy potatoes.
BUT, you can definitely leave the chorizo out! Just replace it with (1) another .5 lb of lean beef or (2) more veggies.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
You need a large skillet/frying pan for making the veggies, meat, and sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. It comes with a glass lid, which is perfect for watching your dinner cook!
You also need a 3-quart Casserole Dish for baking and a sheet pan for setting the casserole dish on in case the shepherd’s pie bubbles over.
PREP-AHEAD TO MAKE YOUR EASY COTTAGE PIE RECIPE
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)
Please don’t let the number of ingredients in this Cottage Pie Recipe scare you off, I promise it’s super easy! Everything goes into the skillet and then the casserole dish, so there are really 3 major steps.
- Make the Mashed potatoes
- Make the filling
- Combine everything in the casserole dish & bake
Make the Mashed Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and keep them in cold water until all are peeled and cut. Cut them into small 1 inch size pieces so they cook faster. Put potatoes into a large pot of water (with an strainer insert if you have it). Add 2 tablespoon of Salt to the water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil (about 8-10 minutes). Boil for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, chop the parsley, dice the carrots, dice the celery, slice the scallions.
You can also remove the casing from the chorizo and break it up into small rough pieces with your hands, fork, or knife.
When the potatoes are soft and slide off the fork or break apart easily, drain the potatoes and add back to the pot for smashing. Add 1 cup of milk and smash with a potato masher. Add garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, manchego cheese, and parmesan and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add a teaspoon of salt or more if needed. Finally stir in a tablespoon of chopped parsley.
Make the Filling
Preheat a large (12 inch) skillet or saute pan. Add 2 teaspoon Olive Oil and the carrots and celery. Stir to coat in oil and then spread out into an even layer, cooking for about 4-5 minutes. Add the scallions, garlic, beef, and broken up chorizo. Mix everything and cook the beef until it is all browned or cooked through (no longer pink).
While the beef is cooking, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water.
Add the salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce. Mix to combine. Add the chicken broth and the cornstarch slurry. Stir until it starts to thicken, then cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes.
Spread the filling out into a 3-quart casserole dish and mix in the corn kernels. Now start to spread the mashed potatoes around the top starting with the outside and working your way into the center.
TIP! IF you want those beautiful toasty parts on the potatoes, make sure you create peaks and valleys in the potatoes with your spoon. If the potatoes are completely smoothed out, you won’t get those delicious browned points.
At this point, you can store the casserole in the fridge or move on to baking it.
COOK YOUR EASY COTTAGE PIE RECIPE
Bake the casserole in a 400 F degree oven on the center rack sitting in a large sheet pan. The sheet pan is to protect your oven by catching any of the filling that may bubble over.
When the top is starting to brown, take the Shepherd’s Pie out and let is rest for about 5-10 minutes.
You can toss a quick side salad during this time. Serve and enjoy! 😍 Carrie
Easy Cottage Pie with Chorizo
This Easy Cottage Pie recipe is smokey, salty, slightly sweet and utterly delicious! It's a mashup of English and Spanish flavors with Spanish Chorizo and traditional ground beef cooked in a rich and savory gravy filled with veggies and herbs. On top of all this goodness are potatoes with manchego, parmesan, and garlic making them incredibly creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. #dinnerideas #cottagepie #shepherdspie #familydinner
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 ½ lbs Russet Potatoes
- 3 tablespoon Salt 2 tablespoon for water, remaining as needed
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 cup Manchego Cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian Flat leaf Parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
Beef Filling
- 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Carrots, medium (about 1.5 cups diced)
- 2 Celery Stalks (about 1 cup diced)
- 2 Scallions, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef, raised w/o antibiotics
- 6 oz Spanish Chorizo
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Thyme, dried
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Cold Water
- 1 cup Corn kernels
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
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Make the Mashed Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and keep them in cold water until all are peeled and cut. Cut them into small 1 inch size pieces so they cook faster. Put potatoes into a large pot of water (with an strainer insert if you have it). Add 2 tablespoon of Salt to the water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil (about 8-10 minutes). Boil for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
-
While the potatoes are cooking, chop the parsley, dice the carrots, dice the celery, slice the scallions.
-
You can also remove the casing from the chorizo and break it up into small rough pices with your hands, fork, or knife.
-
When the potatoes are soft and slide off the fork or break apart easily, drain the potatoes and add back to the pot for smashing. Add 1 cup of milk and smash with a potato masher. Add garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, manchego cheese, and parmesan and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add a teaspoon of salt or more if needed. Finally stir in a tablespoon of chopped parsley.
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Preheat a large (10-12 inch) skillet or saute pan. Add 2 teaspoon Olive Oil and the carrots and celery. Stir to coat in oil and then spread out into an even layer, cooking for about 4-5 minutes.
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Add the scallions, garlic, beef, and broken up chorizo. Mix everything and cook the beef until it is all browned or cooked through (no longer pink).
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While the beef is cooking, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water.
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Add the salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce. Mix to combine.
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Add the chicken broth and the cornstarch slurry. Stir until it starts to thicken, then cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes.
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Spread the filling out into a 3-quart casserole dish and mix in the corn kernels.
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Now start to spread the mashed potatoes around the top starting with the outside, spreading the potatoes right up against the side of the dish to seal the edge. Work your way into the center.
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At this point, you can store the casserole in the fridge or move on to baking it.
Cook
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Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
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Bake the casserole for 25 minutes on the center rack sitting in a large sheet pan that can catch any of the goodness that may bubble over.
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When the top is starting to brown, take the Shepherd's Pie out and let is rest for about 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Reheating - reheat this in the oven with the cover off so that it stays crispy on top, not soggy.
Freezing - You can split this recipe into 2 smaller casseroles and freeze one for cooking later. You will want to cook it from the frozen state, starting with a cover for 20 minutes (400F degrees) and then removing the cover for another 40 minutes or until the center is warmed through.
Replacing beef and chorizo - you can definitely replace with ground chicken or turkey.
Linger says
So funny, because I ate potatoes several times a week growing up as well. I come from Oklahoma and that’s just the side dish my mom would always add to the table. They do have a soft spot in my heart. And btw way, the additions you made to this dish look fabulous, especially the chorizo. YUUUUM! And I’m sure it tastes wonderful. I will have to make it – for old time sake.
Chef Mimi says
Beautiful. I know this as shepherd’s pie, but it looks very similar, with the mash on top. Love that chorizo. Where I live I can only get Mexican chorizo locally, which is soft and greasy, so I order mine online. A great addition to this dish!