Cottage Pie for Two

Looking for a hearty, home-cooked meal that’s perfect for couples — whether you’re pre-kids or relishing the slower pace of an empty nest? This cottage pie for two recipe delivers a rich, savory beef filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes and melted cheese. Whether you’re cooking for a cozy date night or a relaxed evening together, this dish is easy to make and incredibly satisfying!

Oozing savory meaty sauce and glistening melted gooey cheese, our cottage pie for two feels like the quintessential British family meal. On a rare occasion Dave will cook an evening meal, but what a delight, this cottage pie with cheese is his signature dish.

What you’ll love about this recipe

If you ever wondered what is is the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, remember that shepherd’s pie version is made with lamb. While the cottage pie is made with beef: ground beef is so versatile, don’t you think?

When Dave is cooking, it feels like a special event. First, he clears the decks, then preps everything up in advance and always buys ingredients on the day he cooks. It makes no difference if I say we already have these ingredients in cupboards or fridge, it is quite a unique approach. But I leave it be, otherwise I’m interfering with the cottage pie gods and that is undesirable 😂.

One day, Iggi (our youngest) came from school, took a look and asked Dave “what are you cooking? I don’t like traditional cottage pie!”. To which he replied: “do you like potatoes, carrots, peas? What about melted cheese? 😃” And once out of the oven, she was converted.

1. Perfect portions – I love that this easy recipe keeps everything nice and tight. Although the fluffy mash melts in your mouth, the portions can be cut really well and hold their shape. No watery saucy mess! And you get to have leftovers portioned perfectly for next day’s lunches.
2. Rich and flavorful – Savory beef, onions, carrots, and peas in a rich sauce made without flour!
3. Creamy, cheesy topping – Buttery mashed potatoes with golden, melted cheddar.
4. Easy to make – Simple steps make this a stress-free dinner option.
5. Freezer-friendly – If you are into meal prep, you can make this pie ahead and store for an effortless meal later.
   

Watch how to make cottage pie with cheese

Ingredients you’ll need

For the meaty sauce:

• Beef Mince (Ground Beef) – we use lean beef (reducing the amount of saturated fats), but of course a 10% or 12% fat beef will make a tastier sauce.
• Onions – we use red and white
• Garlic
• Carrots and Peas – fresh or frozen work well.
• Canned Chopped Tomatoes
• Worcestershire sauce – is optional, but worth the try: it lends another dimension to this amazing dish.

For the cheesy mash topping:

• Potatoes – starchy potatoes work best for mash, we use Maris Piper or red Desiree potatoes, or even white potatoes (if you are in the US, Yukon Gold or Russets).
• Milk and Butter – a little secret here: if you are avoiding butter you can use a little hot neutral oil (my dad’s method) instead.
• Cheddar cheese – grated.

How to make cottage pie for two (step-by-step)

Pro Tips

• Start with the mash – The mash will take the longest, so while the potatoes are boiling, you can prepare everything else.
• Don’t overcook the veggies – I love the bright colors of carrots and peas and a little bite, so I recommend you under boil them slightly as they will cook in the sauce in the oven as well.
• Don’t skip the Worcestershire sauce – It adds such depth to the beef filling.
• Layer the mash as thick or as thin as you want. If you have leftover mash, yay 👏! Go ahead and freeze it for another meal!
• Get a crispy top – Rake a fork across the mashed potatoes before baking to create crispy, golden peaks.
• Let the pie cool slightly – Allow the pie to rest for a 10 minutes before serving (if you can resist), you will get a better slice.
  

What to serve with cottage pie

Absolutely nothing, but if you must:

• Roast or steamed veggies : I really love these roasted Chantenay carrots, but any other root veg will work, their sweetness is incredible!
• Pickles – I mean if you really have to, go ahead and get store bought (the more plants the better), but it would make me extra happy 🫶 to see you making your own gut-loving fermented cauliflower or red cabbage pink sauerkraut, they are so easy!
• Glass of red wine – My choice would be a small glass of bold red, it pairs beautifully with the savory flavors.

variations and substitutions

• VEGETARIAN: If you want this recipe vegetarian, you can always replace the beef mince with pulses like green lentils or mushrooms!
• DAIRY FREE: Replace butter with oil and use plant-based milk and cheese for the mash.
• This recipe is gluten free, I avoid flour for thickening the sauce, you really do not need it, but if you really want to, I suggest using a little cornflour (cornstarch)
• We made this recipe with turkey mince, it was fine, but a little less savory. If you use lamb, all of a sudden is a different recipe 😏(shepherd’s pie).
• Add a few bay leaves to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of simmering then take them out.
• Up or swap the veggies: add other veg like celery or grab a mix veg from the frozen aisle (sometimes they have corn and green beans too).
• Make a different veggie mash like cauliflower mash or use this recipe for butternut squash chicken soup or feta stuffed butternut squash to roast butternut squash and make a creamy mash.

This cottage pie for two is the ultimate cozy meal and has been our family favorite for over a decade. Especially when winter evenings bring with them comfort food cravings: picture rich beef filling, creamy mash, and golden cheese topping, this dish does not disappoint. Try it today and enjoy a hearty homemade dinner for two or double it up for the whole family!

• If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
• Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
• Don’t forget to rate my recipe! It will make my day!

recipe FAQ

Cottage Pie for Two Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Dave

This yummylicious cottage pie for two is comforting, cheesy, made with Worcestershire sauce, and will be even better the next day!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course dinner, Main Course, main meal

Cuisine british

Servings 2

Equipment

• 1 vegetable chopper (or knife and chopping board)
• 1 large frying pan
• 1 oven safe dish 30 cm x 25 cm or 12 inch x 9.5 inch
• 1 spatula
• 1 large serving spoon
• 1 potato masher
• 1 jug
• prep bowls

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the mash potatoes

• 8 potatoes
• 150 ml milk
• 50 g butter
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 150 g grated cheese (mature Cheddar)

For the sauce

• 500 g beef mince (we use lean ground beef)
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 white onion diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 handfuls frozen peas
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 stock cube
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil or olive oil
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions

 

Prep the Ingredients

• Peel the potatoes. Chop into quarters then rinse in cold clean water until most of the starch has been rinsed off and the water runs almost clear. Put into a large pan of water covering the potatoes and put onto boil with a few pinches of salt (salt to taste). The potatoes can be left to boil whilst the rest of the ingredients are prepared. This takes around 20-25 minutes.
• Peel then chop the carrots into slices. Put the carrots and peas into the same pan with boiling water, add a few pinches of salt and let them simmer. They should be taken off the heat and drained when just slightly under cooked (around 7 minutes), as they will cook further in the saucy filling.
• Peel and dice the onions and mince or or thinly slice the cloves of garlic.

Make the Beef Filling

• While the potatoes are cooking, add 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and bring to medium heat. Then add the garlic and stir until slightly golden and fragrant (a couple of seconds should be enough to avoid burning).
• Add the beef mince and separate with either a spatula or wooden spoon. When mince starts to brown, season well with salt and pepper and optionally the stock cube and stir until mixed in. Add 3 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and stir in. Taste as you go.
• When the mince is nearly cooked through make a hole in the middle and pour in the onions, stirring together. Onions can be cooked until soft or slightly crunchy depending on preference. This takes 10 minutes.
• Check on the peas and carrots. If nearly cooked, drain off water and pour peas and carrots into the frying pan and stir all together.
• Turn down the heat, add the chopped tomatoes, stir then leave to simmer for another 10 minutes until the sauce is nice an thick not watery..

Make the Mashed Potatoes

• Whilst the meaty sauce is simmering check the potatoes as they should be cooked and take off the heat and drain the water.
• Heat the milk in the microwave or stove for 30 seconds. Add the butter to the hot potatoes and mash together until mixed in. At this point the potatoes will still be lumpy so slowly add the milk and mash together. Keep adding milk until the mash becomes creamy.

Assemble the Pie

• Preheat the oven to 200 ℃ (400 ℉). Prepare an oven safe dish or casserole and with a large serving spoon dish up the beef filling into an even layer.
• Add the mash potato on top of the beef filling just off the edges, gently smooth the mash potato across and outward to the edges until you have an inch thick layer of mash.
• Gently run a fork (prongs down) along the length of the dish until the lines cover the length. Then draw the fork width-ways, this will allow a pattern for a crispy top once baked.
• Add the grated Cheddar cheese evenly covering the entire dish.

Bake and Serve

• Place the dish in the oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes or until the cheese is turning golden brown.
• When cooked, take out of the oven and let sit for a few minutes before dishing up (it will be very hot!!!)

Video

Notes

Dave’s Tips:

Sort out enough bowls for the raw ingredients to be prepared into before cooking.

If the sauce has a bit too much liquid, hold some back before adding to the oven dish.

 

 

Keyword cottage pie, cottage pie for 2, cottage pie recipe for 2, cottage pie with cheese

Tried this recipe?Tag me @candyflossiecooks on Instagram! I’d love to see how your dish turns out ! ✨

follow me on Instagram

Try my other delicious recipes