Cottage Pie with Guinness

Make a flavorful cottage pie with Guinness, ground beef, and creamy mashed potatoes—perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 35

Servings servings

Calories 936kcal

Author Adina

Large, deeper skillet or saucepan
Cooking pot for the potatoes
Potato masher
Casserole dish about 7x10 inches(18x25 cm), a bit larger or smaller than that is ok

Preparations: Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery.
1 medium onion + 1 large carrot + 2 celery stalks
Brown ground beef: Heat the oil in the skillet, add the chopped vegetables and sauté them for about 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook it until brown (about 5 minutes).
1 tablespoon vegetable oil + vegetables + 1.7 lbs ground beef
Simmer: Sprinkle the flour on top and stir it for 1 minute. Add Guinness, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer the ground beef for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour + 1 ⅓ cup Guinness + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce + fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Boil potatoes: Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes into cubes. Put them in the pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain them well and return them to the pot.
1.7 lbs potatoes
Make the mash: Add warm milk, butter, cream cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the potatoes. Mash until smooth, adjusting seasoning if needed. Stir in half of the cheese.
⅓ cup whole milk + 1 ½ tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons cream cheese + a few gratings of nutmeg + fine sea salt and ground black pepper + ½ of the cheese from 6 tablespoons Cheddar

Spread the meat mixture in a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and use a fork to create a pattern on the surface of the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of cheese and dot the top of the pie with small pieces of butter.
1 ½ tablespoon butter
Bake the cottage pie for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Ground meat: Use ground lamb instead of beef for a delicious, classic shepherd’s pie.
Swap Guinness for any stout, dark, or regular beer. If you prefer no alcohol, use beef or chicken stock instead.