Guinness Cottage Pie (2024)

Guinness cottage pie is a hearty dish filled with ground beef, onions, and vegetables. Topped with a mashed potato crust, this savory pie is perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day or as a weeknight meal.

Cottage pie is a classic comfort food originating from the United Kingdom and Ireland. This pie is filled with ground beef, peas, carrots, onions, and a flavorful sauce. Creamy homemade mashed potatoes serve as a crust that tops this hearty pie.

Guinness beer is the special ingredient in this recipe, adding an extra layer of depth and flavor to the beef filling. Beef broth can easily serve as a substitute to make this a family friendly recipe.

Serve Guinness cottage pie to celebrate St. Patrick's Day or anytime you'd like a hearty, comforting meal at home. It's perfect for weeknights or Sunday dinner with the family.

Potato topping ingredients

• Potatoes - The best potatoes for mashing are russet or yukon gold potatoes. Either potato will work well for this recipe.
• Heavy cream - Can be substituted with whole milk if desired. Heavy cream creates a creamier, richer mashed potato crust.
• Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter (you'll want to cut the listed salt in half).
• Salt and pepper - Add flavor to the potatoes.
• Parsley - Optional garnish to add just before serving.

Beef filling ingredients

• Ground beef - 85/15 ground beef or 90/10 ground beef are best. Beef with a higher fat percentage may need to be drained after cooking. Readers have also had success using other ground meats like ground turkey.
• Onions and garlic - Add depth of flavor to your filling. I recommend using fresh minced garlic or garlic powder as a substitute, not jarred garlic, which often has a harsh flavor.
• Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter (cut the listed salt in half).
• Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and thyme add a mild, savory flavor to your filling.
• All-purpose flour - Helps thicken your filling. Can be substituted with cornstarch if needed.
• Tomato paste - Adds savory, umami flavor to the filling.
• Worcestershire sauce - Adds depth of flavor to your filling.
• Guinness - Can be substituted with beef broth.
• Frozen peas and carrots - Any type of small diced frozen vegetables can be added to this recipe. Green beans or mixed vegetables are great alternatives.

Tips and tricks

Pan size - I used a 10.25 inch cast iron pan: Lodge cast iron pan. You can use any oven-safe skillet or sauté pan for this recipe.

Don't have an oven safe skillet? - Cook your meat filling in a standard skillet on the stove top and transfer to a 2 quart baking dish to finish in the oven.

To prevent lumpy potatoes - Make sure your potatoes are fork tender and cooked all the way through before draining and mashing. Lumps in potatoes are simply undercooked potato bits.

Add texture with a fork - Use a fork to add texture on top of your cottage pie. This step is optional but creates a nice texture crust once baked.

Want a browned crust? - Turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking to brown your potato crust even more. Don't walk away and keep an eye on your skillet to ensure the broiler doesn't burn the top.

Storage

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and reheat well in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or lightly covered in the microwave.

Frequently asked questions

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