Cottage pie gets a crispier, tastier topping when sharp cheddar cheese is sprinkled on before cooking, according to Jessie-Sierra Ross, founder of Straight To The Hips Baby. The cheese helps cut the fattiness of the meat filling, making the classic autumn dish more delicious and decadent.
Why Cheddar Works Best
Ross recommends using sharp cheddar cheese for the topping. "Sharp cheddar cheese! The punchiness of the grated cheese helps to cut the fattiness of the meat filling. It's delicious and most certainly decadent," she said.
Many people use whatever cheese they have in the fridge, which can make the top stretchy and gooey rather than crispy. Cheddar melts to create a bubbling, golden crust that pairs well with mashed potatoes, adding a rich, full-bodied, savoury flavour.
What Happens With Other Cheeses
Using a different cheese won't ruin the dish, but the topping will be softer, making the texture runny and awkward to cut into. Some cheeses add too much creaminess to the mashed potatoes, making them taste overly cloying and heavy, which is why cheddar is always the best choice.
How to Make Tasty Cottage Pie
For four people, the beef filling needs 450g of minced beef, two tablespoons of olive oil, one medium onion, one shallot, four large carrots, two large celery stalks, three cloves of garlic, four stems of fresh thyme, three tablespoons of plain flour, 600ml of beef broth, one tablespoon of tomato paste, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, one tablespoon of whiskey, salt, pepper, and parsley for garnish.
For the potatoes, you need 1.4kg of potatoes, six tablespoons of butter, 60ml of cream, 60ml of milk, 170g of cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Preparation takes around 30 minutes.
Place a casserole dish over low heat, add the oil, and once hot, add the minced beef. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for about six to 10 minutes until browned. Remove the beef from the dish and place it in a bowl, keeping the oil and beef drippings in the pan.
Finely dice the onions, shallot, carrots and celery, then place in the dish over medium heat. Add the fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper and stir as you cook. Cook for about five minutes until the onions start to brown, then add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Pour the flour over the vegetables until fully coated, and cook for two to three more minutes.
Pour the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and whiskey into the pot. Bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cooked mince back into the pot and let everything simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a thick filling.
Meanwhile, make the mashed potato topping. Fill a saucepan with cold water, add a pinch of salt and the potatoes. Place over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Place the butter, milk and cream into a jug and microwave in 30-second increments until the butter melts. Pour the hot buttery mixture over the mashed potatoes and stir thoroughly. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese into the potatoes, season with salt and pepper.
Once the filling is ready, remove it from the heat and let it rest for five minutes. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Scoop the cheddar mashed potatoes onto the filling and smooth into a thick layer. Add the remaining cheddar cheese on top. Place the dish in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until golden, bubbly and full of flavour.
