Baked potatoes loaded with a cottage pie filling and topped with cheesy mashed potato!
As one of my most loved and most popular recipes, I had to include this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’!
Cottage Pie Filling
These baked potatoes are a funky twist on the Classic Cottage Pie that are super easy to make and even more delicious to eat! The filling is a key component of this recipe. There’s no good having a beautifully baked potato with a bland filling! The base of the filling is ground beef, although you could use lamb if you’d prefer these to be Shepherd’s Pies.
Red Wine
I highly recommend adding a glug of red wine to the filling. It pairs so beautifully with the beef and offers a real depth of flavour to the gravy. No need to splash out on anything fancy – just use what you’ve got on hand! Anything dry will do the trick. You can sub more beef stock if you’d prefer.
Gravy Granules
These are a game changer when making a cottage pie filling. Not only do they add flavour, but they also help thicken the gravy. I highly recommend using a trusted brand such as Bisto. If you’re struggling to find gravy granules you can sub flour (see recipe notes below).
Low Simmering
Once you’ve added in all the ingredients you’ll want to reduce the heat and gently simmer everything until the gravy thickens. This will also give chance for the flavours to marry together and will also help tenderize the beef slightly too.
Process shots: add onion, carrot, mushroom & garlic to pan (photo 1), fry (photo 2), fry beef (photo 3), fry tomato puree and simmer red wine (photo 4), add stock, Worcestershire sauce, gravy granules, herbs & seasoning (photo 5), simmer (photo 6).
Baked Potatoes
Okay, filling done, now we need to get it inside the potatoes. As such, you’ll want to bake some large potatoes until knife tender, then gut them out to make room for the filling.
Cottage Pie Topping
To put the potato to good use, we’re going to mash it up with a concoction of goodies, then plonk it on top of the potatoes once they’re stuffed.
Process shots: coat potatoes in olive oil & salt (photo 1), bake (photo 2), slice off top (photo 3), gut out centre (photo 4), add to bowl with butter, milk, cheese & seasoning (photo 5), mash (photo 6).
Cottage Pie Loaded Potatoes
To construct the potatoes, whack the filling in the centre, top with potato and more cheese, then bung them in the oven. One word of advice, make sure you clean up any cheese from the tray before going in the oven, otherwise it’ll burn (yes I made that mistake below ).
The potatoes are done when the skin is crispy and the topping is golden and bubbly.
Process shots: add skins to tray (photo 1), add filling (photo 2), top with potato and cheese (photo 3), bake (photo 4).
Serving Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes
To serve, here I added some roasted broccoli and cauliflower, but do check out my Sides for more inspo! (Green Beans also work nicely).
For another funky twist of the classic cottage pie check out my Mini Cottage Pies!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these cottage pie potatoes shall we?!
How to make Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)
Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- Large Baking Tray (for baking potatoes)
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon (for filling)
- Large Mixing Bowl & Potato Mash (for topping)
- Jug (for stock)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
Potatoes/Topping
- 6 large Baking Potatoes (approx 350g/12oz EACH)
- 4oz / 120g freshly grated Cheddar
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Milk or Cream
- 2 heaped tbsp Butter
- 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
- Olive Oil, as needed
Filling
- 1lb / 500g Ground Beef Mince (10-12% works great)
- 1.25 cups / 300ml Beef Stock
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Red Wine (sub more stock)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 heaped tbsp Beef Gravy Granules (see notes)
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
- 1 medium Onion, finely diced
- 1 medium Carrot, finely diced
- 2.5oz / 75g Mushrooms, finely diced
- 1 clove Garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
- Olive Oil, as needed
Instructions
- Stab the potatoes a few times all over, then coat in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pop in the oven at 356F/180C for 80mins, or until deep golden, crispy and knife tender.
- Once cool enough to handle, slice off the top (3/4 of the way up) and scoop out most of the centre into a large bowl, leaving a thin wall to keep the potato sturdy. Mash the potato with butter, milk, nutmeg, half of the cheese and plenty of salt & pepper to taste (I typically use 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper).
- Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat add a drizzle of oil alongside the carrot, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Fry until soft and starting to pick up colour, then add in the beef and fry until brown all the way through, breaking up with your wooden spoon as you go.
- Stir in 1 tbsp tomato puree and fry for a couple of mins, then pour in the wine. Simmer for a few mins to allow the beef to soak it up, then pour in the beef stock. Stir in rosemary, thyme, gravy granules, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper (to taste). Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for around 20-25mins to thicken the sauce.
- Spoon the beef into the potatoes, then top with a few heaped tbsp of potato. You should be left with 1 cup of mash, save it in the fridge for a rainy day. Top potatoes with cheese, then place back in the oven at 220C/430F for around 12-15mins, or until golden & bubbly!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Baked Potato Recipes
- Classic Baked Potato
- Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes
- Tuna Baked Potato
- Jalapeno Popper Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Fish Pie Baked Potatoes
These were delicious! My family loved them. I went with peas and corn as my family likes Sheppard pie, and thicken gravy with a little cornstarch and water as I didn’t have granular beef base. The gravy was delicious.. Turned out amazing!! I will definitely be making these again. Thank you for the recipe.
So pleased to hear, Irene! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
A wonderful recipe. I added peas for added sweetness and color. I made these as a appetizers for our Friday night sitout with neighbors. I decided to use small potatoes about the size that would fit in the palm of your hand. They came out perfect and loved by all.
Thanks so much for the review, Tony! Great to hear they went down well 🙂 C.
I have made this twice now and will do so again. Tasty! A little putsy to make bit worth it. I would even serve these to company. They’re cute and good!!
So pleased to hear, Jeanette! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
This is a spectacular recipe! It was a huge hit with my family and will be repeated frequently. It’s simple, savory and comforting in the way of family meals shared with loved ones. Thanks so much for sharing!
So pleased to hear, Marla! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
Send help, too full, can’t move.
Absolutely delicious!
Definitely going to be a regular meal for me and my daughter, we both loved it!
Haha thank you so much for the review and hopefully you can move soon!! C.
Made these last night for our “family” of six and everyone, young and younger(3-53) loved them! I will be adding your recipe to our family rotation.
Thank you for sharing!
So great to hear, Corrine! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
These were so delicious! And the presentation is so fun too!
Thanks so much for the review, Megan 🙂 C.
This was a nice change from traditional cottage pie. Since there are only two of us, I froze some of the filling for next time. I didn’t change a thing!
Great to hear these went down well! 🙂 C.
This recipe looks great. I get to make a meal for a friend (going through cancer treatment) to drop at her house so she doesn’t have to cook as much.
I’d like to make this right up to the point before the final bake so that all she and her family has to do is pop it in the oven to get it bubbly hot. Do you see a problem with that?
Thank you.
Hey Gale. Firstly, please send my love and well wishes to your friend. What you’ve suggested will be fine, although I’d probably take them out the fridge at least 30 mins beforehand, just to get take the chill out the centre and ensure they end up piping hot again right through the centre. C.
Loved this dish will be making it again!!!
Thanks so much for the review, Tarilynn! C.