Cottage pie with beef (or Shepherd’s pie with lamb) is an English family dinner classic. Minced meat cooked with grated vegetables, and baked with a creamy potato mash topping. Yum!
This cottage pie for toddlers can be made in mini ramekins for little individual portions. Or you can choose to make the same recipe in one larger pie dish for the whole family to enjoy.
With grated courgettes, carrots and mushrooms sneaked in, it’s a tasty and nutritious meal!
Summary
Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Intermediate
Makes: 14 mini cottage pies
How to make Cottage pie for toddlers?
You can make cottage pie for toddlers in the traditional way, by first preparing a meat mixture with cooked vegetables mixed into it and simmered together. We have also added some herbs for flavour.
Then you boil and mash the potatoes with the butter and cheese to make a creamy potato topping.
It all goes into an oven dish with the meat mixture as the first layer and the potato mixture as the top layer and is cooked in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden.
This cottage pie recipe has kept the ingredients simple and fresh so that it’s suitable for young children.
You may want to use a low sodium chicken stock and cut back on the salt if you’re making it for toddlers.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, grated
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated
- 200 grams mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 courgette, peeled and grated
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only, chopped
- 1 kg minced beef (you can use minced lamb to make it Shepherd’s Pie)
- 4 tablespoons tomato puree
- 500 mls chicken stock
- Splash of Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
For the potato topping:
- 1 kg potatoes
- 60 grams butter
- 100 grams cheddar cheese (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons sour cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Place in a saucepan and boil for about 20 minutes or until softened.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and sautée the grated onions, carrots, courgettes, mushrooms and minced garlic for a few minutes until golden. Add the chopped rosemary and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.
- In a separate saucepan or deep frying pan add another tablespoon of olive olive oil and cook the minced meat until it is browned. Stir constantly to ensure that all parts of the meat are cooked. Drain off the excess fat at the end.
- Add the sautéed carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, garlic and onions into the minced meat. Add the tomato puree and pour over the chicken stock. Then add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to finish.
- Bring to the boil and gently simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the meat is cooked and the mixture has thickened. Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins or into a 10 inch pie dish.
- Return to your boiled potatoes. Drain and mash them with butter, sour cream and cheese (if using). You can add more butter if you feel it needs some.
- Spoon the potato mixture over the meat mixture in the pie dish or ramekins, and finish them off with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve with steamed tenderstem broccoli or your favourite crunchy salad.
Cottage by for toddlers – our step-by-step guide:
1
1
Start by boiling your potatoes
Peel and chop your potatoes and cover with water in a large saucepan.
Boil for 20 minutes or until soft.
2
2
Sautee your grated vegetables
While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling.
Take a saucepan or deep frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add in the grated onions, carrots, courgettes, with the finely chopped mushrooms and minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until soft and slightly golden.
Add in the chopped rosemary and thyme and cook for a minute or two longer. This releases the flavours.
3
3
Brown your minced meat
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a separate saucepan and brown your minced beef (or lamb).
Stir constantly. When browned take a moment to drain off the excess fat before continuing.
4
4
Add in your vegetables, stock, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce
Combine your vegetable mixture with the meat in one pan and pour over the chicken stock.
Stir in the tomato puree and add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
5
5
Pour the meat mixture into individual ramekins or one large oven dish
Spoon the mixture into your chosen cooking dish.
Small ramekins work well for toddler meals as they can get their own individual portion, while larger oven dishes are best for big family dinners.
6
6
Make the creamy potato topping
When the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them with your butter, grated cheese and sour cream.
Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher (don’t use an electric mixer as it can make them get too starchy).
Make sure all of the lumps are out before you add it to your oven dish.
7
7
Spoon on your mashed potatoes
Add your mashed potatoes over your minced meat mixture in the ramekins or pie dish.
Spread them around with a table knife until they’re evenly distributed.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is nice and golden.
The whole family can enjoy this tasty Cottage pie for toddlers
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4.55 from 20 votes
Cottage pie for toddlers
Cottage pie with beef, or Shepherd’s pie with lamb, is an English family dinner classic. Minced meat is cooked with grated vegetables, and baked with a creamy potato mash topping.
This cottage pie for toddlers can be made in mini ramekins for little individual portions. Or you can choose to make the same recipe in one larger oven dish for the whole family to enjoy.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 14 ramekins
Author Mas & Pas
Ingredients
For the meat filling
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion grated
- 2 carrots peeled and grated
- 1 courgette peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves only chopped
- 1 kilogram minced beef (you can replace with minced lamb)
- 4 tablespoons tomato puree
- 500 mls chicken stock low sodium
- splash Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to season
For the potato topping
- 1 kilogram potatoes
- 60 grams butter
- 100 grams cheddar cheese (optional)
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Place in a saucepan and boil for about 20 minutes or until softened.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and sautée the grated onions, carrots, courgettes, mushrooms and minced garlic for a few minutes until golden. Add the chopped rosemary and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.
In a separate saucepan or deep frying pan add another tablespoon of olive olive oil and cook the minced meat until it is browned. Stir constantly to ensure that all parts of the meat are cooked. Drain off the excess fat at the end.
Add the sautéed carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, garlic and onions into the minced meat. Add the tomato puree and pour over the chicken stock. Then add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to finish.
Bring to the boil and gently simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the meat is cooked and the mixture has thickened. Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins or into a 10 inch pie dish.
Return to your boiled potatoes. Drain and mash them with butter, sour cream and cheese (if using). You can add more butter if you feel it needs some.
Spoon the potato mixture over the meat mixture in the pie dish or ramekins, and finish them off with a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve with steamed tenderstem broccoli or your favourite crunchy salad.
