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This Cottage Skillet Pie with Stout is a wonderful dish that is rich and savory…and easy to make as a one-pot meal. It’s especially nice when you have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge.
(Post modified with new photos on 3/2/24.)
Cottage Pie is a simple dish made by common folk. It’s made in a skillet and consists of three layers. A meat layer, potato layer, and a third layer of cheese. There seems to be some debate as to its origins. Either England or Ireland. Then there is a Cumberland Pie, which is much the same, with the only difference in that it uses chunks of beef, versus ground beef.
Although similar to my Shepherd’s Pie recipe, it’s like comparing a simple stew to Beef Bourguignon. The additional ingredients and layering of steps create a depth and richness to this dish that makes it a 5 star recipe for me. Try it and I’d love to know if you agree!
You’ll need about 90 minutes to make this dish, some stout beer (Guinness works well, or I’ve also used Deschutes Obsidian Stout), and leftover mashed potatoes. If you don’t have any mashed potatoes in the fridge, you may also make some while the ground beef is cooking on the stove.
More English/Irish Recipes
- Hamburger Cabbage Skillet
- Irish Bangers and Mash
- Kielbasa Potato Skillet Dinner
- Slow-Cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients for Cottage Skillet Pie with Stout
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- lean ground beef (80/20) or ground venison
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- carrots
- sweet onion
- garlic cloves
- Worcestershire sauce
- dried thyme
- tomato paste
- Guinness Draught Stout Beer (not extra stout)
- beef stock
- frozen peas
- prepared mashed potatoes
- cheddar cheese
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 400°F. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
Peel and dice the carrots.
Dice the onion. Mince the garlic cloves.
Using a handheld grater, shred the cheddar cheese.
When I’ve been short on time, I’ve substituted frozen mixed vegetables for the carrots and peas. Sometimes I use frozen carrots harvested from the garden instead of fresh carrots. I’ve also used Monterey Jack cheese instead of the cheddar, which works well, too.
Make the Meat Layer
In a large cast iron skillet, brown the lean ground beef over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ground venison also works well for this recipe.
Using a wooden spoon or spurtle, stir in the diced carrots, sweet onion, and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion is tender.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, and thyme.
Create a space in the center by pushing the hamburger mixture to the edges. Add the tomato paste to the center and cook until slightly darkened, 1-2 minutes. Then stir the paste into the rest of the dish.
Pour in the Guinness Stout beer and stir in to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced.
Add the frozen peas to the mixture, along with the beef broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for another 12-15 minutes, until the broth is reduced.
Assemble the Cottage Pie
To assemble the layers, add spoonfuls of the leftover mashed potatoes to the top of the meat mixture. See my recipe for Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes Here, or even Colcannon Here.
Sprinkle the tops of the potato mounds with grated cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until the mixture bubbles around the edges about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5-7 minutes before serving.
Serve Cottage Pie on pretty plates with a crusty, hard bread such as my Tangy Sourdough Bread. In the above picture, I’m serving the Irish meat pie on Blue Willow plates.
This recipe will serve 6-8. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and reheat in microwave to serve.
See more Main Dishes Here. Browse Irish Dishes Here. View Beef Recipes Here.
Cottage Skillet Pie with Stout
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef (80/20 or Ground Venison)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large carrots (diced, or 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup sweet onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup stout beer (Guinness Draught works well)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Peel and dice the carrots. Dice the sweet onion. Mince the garlic cloves.
- Using a handheld grater, shred the cheddar cheese.
- Heat the leftover mashed potatoes in the microwave until warm.
Make the Meat Layer
- In a large cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Using a wooden spoon or spurtle, stir in the diced carrots, sweet onion, and minced garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is tender.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce and dried thyme.
- Create a space in the center by pushing the hamburger mixture to the edges. Add the tomato paste to the center and cook until slightly darkened, 1-2 minutes. Then stir the paste into the rest of the dish.
- Pour in the stout beer and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced.
- Add frozen peas, along with the beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook for another 12-15 minutes, until the broth has reduced.
Assemble the Cottage Pie
- To assemble the layers, add spoonfuls of the leftover mashed potatoes to the top of the meat mixture.
- Sprinkle the tops of the potato mounds with grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven until the mixture bubbles around the edges about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5-7 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.
Nutrition
