Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping

My Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping is a delicious twist on a traditional British favourite.

Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping is a nourishing and delicious update on a traditional British favourite, the kind of comforting supper that is perfect for busy weeknights or relaxed weekends. The roasted sweet potato, butternut squash and parsnip topping adds extra flavour, colour and texture, and is a great way to work towards eating 30 plants a week. There’s a vegetarian or vegan option too, which offers the possibility of even more plant points.

The Difference Between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie

The difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie is that Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb, while Cottage Pie is made with beef. However, over the years the name Shepherd’s Pie has become more widely used, so Cottage Pie is often referred to as Shepherd’s Pie in everyday conversation and on restaurant menus. It’s not strictly accurate, but everyone kind of knows what you mean. And because lamb is often more expensive – and not everyone enjoys it – people now tend to assume that if you say Shepherd’s Pie you mean something made with beef.

In years gone by, these classic dishes were a way of using up leftovers from a lamb or beef roast. The cooked meat would be shredded or finely chopped, mixed with gravy and vegetables, layered into a casserole dish and topped with leftover mashed potato. In fact, some people still do this today. 

However many cooks now use raw minced beef or lamb instead. The mince is browned with onions, and vegetables, seasonings and gravy are added. The mixture is then topped with mashed potato before being baked.

For a vegetarian version, many cooks substitute a good-quality plant-based mince for the meat.

I have been making cottage pies for years, but the roasted root vegetable topping is a variation I have incorporated more recently. It’s a flavourful and nutritious alternative to a mashed potato topping – a really nice change from time to time.

Why You Will Love Cottage Pie with Root Vegetable Topping

Cottage Pie is a frugal, kid friendly dinner, with mild flavours and a great texture. The root vegetable topping is a colourful twist that adds a bit of sweetness to the meal.

The recipe can be made in one large casserole or you can make it in four individual casserole dishes as I often do. The individual pumpkin-shaped casserole dishes I used for the photographs in this post were made by Le Creuset, however sadly they do not appear to be available anymore. I found these individual pumpkin-shaped casserole dishes, but I have not used them myself. (affiliate link)

Frequent Asked Questions

What if my family does not like parsnips?
You can switch up the root vegetables to suit your family. If you don’t like parsnips, bump up the butternut squash and sweet potato – or replace the parsnips with cubed carrots*, swede (rutabaga) or turnip.

*Should you choose to use carrots in the topping, I recommend adding peas to the meat filling instead of carrots.

Is there a vegetarian or vegan option for this recipe?
You can make vegan or vegetarian Cottage Pie by replacing ground beef with lentils (you can also use ready to eat lentils) or a plant-based mince, adjusting the cooking times as necessary.

Can I make a Shepherd’s Pie with this recipe?
If you prefer to make a Shepherd’s Pie with Roast Vegetable Topping, simply replace the ground beef mince with ground lamb mince.

Serving and Storing

Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping is lovely served with broccoli, green beans or another green vegetable.

Leftovers should be cooled quickly and refrigerated as soon as possible.

Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping is a great make ahead dish that reheats well. Why not double the recipe and enjoy one batch for supper tonight and keep the other for another day? Be sure to cool and refrigerate the second casserole promptly and use within two to three days.

Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Cottage Pie with Root Vegetable Topping

Course Main Dish

Cuisine British

Servings 4

My Cottage Pie with Roasted Root Vegetable Topping recipe is a delicious, nutritious twist on a traditional British favourite.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 sweet potato peeled and cut in small cubes
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in small cubes You can use prepared bags of cubed butternut squash and sweet potato if you prefer.
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut in small cubes
• 2 tablespoons mlld olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon onion salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef (mince beef) You can substitute plant-based mince for a vegetarian or vegan option.
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon corn flour Corn flour is also known as corn starch.
• ½ cup beef stock You may not need it all. Use vegetable stock if you are substituting plant-based mince.
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Omit for a vegetarian/vegan option
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C OR 190°C for fan ovens).
• Place the cubed root vegetables on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
• Mix together the onion salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper to taste.
• Shake over the root vegetables.
• Stir the vegetables to coat with the oil and seasonings and put in the oven.
• Set the timer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a deep frying pan with a lid.
• Sauté the onion until it begins to soften a little.
• Add the ground beef and cook, breaking the meat up as you go, until the meat is browned.
• When the timer goes off for the vegetables, remove the pan from the oven, turn the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Set the timer for another 10 minutes.
• Stir in the carrots into the meat mixture in the saucepan and shake the cornflour over top of the pan.
• Add the stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the meat has a bit of gravy around it.
• Cover the frying pan and simmer, adding a little stock if necessary for a fairly thick gravy. .
• Put the meat mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish or 4 smaller baking dishes.
• Top the meat mixture with the roasted root vegetables.
• Place the baking dish or smaller baking dishes on a baking sheet.
• Reduce the oven heat to 375°F (190°C or 180°C for fan ovens).
• Place the cottage pie(s) in the oven on the baking sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the vegetable topping has nice crusty edges (but isn't burned).
• Serve the cottage pies with green vegetables.

Notes

For the first three ingredients (the root vegetables),  you can use any combination of vegetables you like. If you dislike parsnips, feel free to use more squash or sweet potato, or use carrots instead. 

If you use carrots in the topping, I suggest you substitute frozen peas for the carrots in the meat or plant-based mince mixture. Add them a bit later on so that they begin to thaw in the mixture and then they will cook through in the oven. If you add them when the carrots would have been added, they will overcook.

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