How to keep Cottage Pie "solid" ?

tanith

I always drain the mince of gravy put it in the dish , mash pots with very little milk and leave till cool before assembling, I usually add a little gravy before putting on the mash and heat the rest of the gravy for the table then I brush the top with butter and bake for 45mins in a hot oven. We like the top brown and the gravy just bubbling up..... I've been making it this way for donkeys years and its always turned out perfect

custardy

I make my mash with only butter
so boil the potatoes,dont over cook
drain
put back in the pan and dry/fluff over a low heat
mash and add butter in
you get a tight mash this way

As said,make the mince quite thick with not too much liquid

Chris25

I often add some instant mash into my potatoes - makes the topping stiffer.

And agree with others to let meat cool before topping with mash.

Kitchenbunny

Whatever I put into the shepherd's/cottage pie base always ends up as quick a thick mixture. Normally I only add a squirt of tomato puree and maybe a couple of tbsp of water, and let the various juices from mushrooms etc give it a little gravy.

I don't use a lot of milk or butter when making mash for a pie like this, nor do I make it overly creamy. It goes on the top and, yes, it does move about a bit and occasionally sink into the sauce. And I can never get it out of the dish in one piece. But it doesn't matter to us - as long as it tastes good.

KB xx

pigpen

This_Year wrote: »

I sling a handful of oats in the meat while I'm cooking it, it thickens it up slightly and you can't tell they're in it once its finished.

I add lentils but same principle

meritaten

I let the bottom cool completely then make mash with butter and NO milk (Delia advises this too) and if the potatoes are a bit watery then leave out the butter! you can always put more on top before putting in the oven and still get that buttery mash taste.
I wouldnt freeze them separately - dunno why, its just a gut instinct that its better to make the pie and then freeze!

Callie22

I always mash my potatoes over a low heat to dry them out, then add just butter and seasoning. For cottage pie etc I always make them stiffer than if I was just eating them as a side - I personally wouldn't freeze them as it always makes it runny. I also find that if you let the hot pie cool a bit before you serve it, it all stays together better.

splishsplash

I make a large cottage pie by putting cold mash on a cold meat mix, topped with cheese and baked for half an hour.

I then let it cool completely before splitting it into individual portions to freeze in sandwich bags. If I try to portion it when it's hot or warm, I end up with a mess. When it's cold, it goes more solid. If it doesn't go solid when cold, you've probably put too much liquid in with the meat. Oh, I also add some flour to the fried mince to thicken the liquid.

I think the trick to avoiding watery spuds on defrosting is not to defrost but to put in the oven from frozen. Doesn't work if you put it in the microwave for some reason, it has to be the oven.

melanzana

Thank you all for replies. I've enjoyed reading them all.

When serving either the fresh, or frozen version, the spud topping is fine, but the underneath meat bit is floppy, and it ends up as a gloop!

I did think the mince needed to be firmer, but no matter what I tried it bled into the mash on serving.

I too cool everything down whether it's for fresh or frozen.

So I will try to make the base firmer, by adding oats, a few lentils and not too much liquid.

And I'm going to throw some wholemeal breadcrumbs in there too. So there!

Will be trying your suggestions on the batch cooking Saturday next!

Xx

Thanks again.