Cottage Pie (gluten free) – The ULTIMATE Recipe
Perfect comfort food! Rich, beefy, flavoursome, topped with optionally cheesy, fluffy mashed potato, this is the ULTIMATE gluten free Cottage Pie recipe. You can even make it dairy free if you need to.
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I’ve been making Cottage Pie since I was a kid. This great British classic is as comforting as it is delicious. Over the years it’s been honed to perfection… Little tweaks here and there, including making it gluten free following Coeliac diagnosis. I’m so happy with it that I declare THIS gluten free Cottage Pie to be the ULTIMATE recipe… A rich, deeply-flavoursome, beefy filling, topped with plenty of fluffy, cheesy mash. It’s divine comfort food that will hug you from top to bottom.
Why you need to make this gluten free Cottage Pie recipe
- It’s the most flavourful Cottage Pie ever! Complete comfort food heaven. ☺️
- The recipe is easy to make.
- There’s no strange ingredients… Just simple great food.
- Everyone will love eating it whether Coeliac or not, so it’s perfect for sharing with family and friends.
- It can be made ahead and even frozen.
- The recipe is gluten free and can be made dairy free too.
Are Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie the same thing?
No. But they are very similar! The key difference is the meat used for the filling:
- Shepherd’s Pie is made with minced lamb
- Cottage Pie is made with minced beef (ground beef)
What you need to make gluten free Cottage Pie
Most of the ingredients used to make gluten free Cottage Pie are standard fresh and dried staples that need little explanation:
- beef mince (US ground beef)
- onion, carrot, celery, garlic
- oil to fry
- concentrated tomato puree (the thick tubed stuff) – aka tomato paste
- herbs: thyme, parsley and bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- butter and milk (dairy free as required)
- salt and pepper
You will also need:
Corn Starch (UK Cornflour)
This helps to thicken the sauce in the filling. If you are unable to eat corn, then it can be subbed with arrowroot starch (1:1 ratio). Or plain gluten free flour blend (at two-thirds the amount)… Thus 1 tbsp in place of 1½ tbsp.
Beef Stock
This helps bring flavour to the filling and is easiest made using a beef stock cube mixed with boiling water. Be sure the stock cube is gluten free to make the Cottage Pie coeliac safe. I use either Knorr or Kallo stock cubes.
Red Wine
While you can make cottage pie without red wine, it makes a huge difference (in my opinion) to the depth and richness of flavour in the sauce. Don’t worry too much about it being ‘alcohol’ as the alcohol burns off in cooking! However, it you don’t want to use alcohol, then switch it for a no alcohol wine.
Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce or Henderson’s Relish
Again, one or other makes an amazing difference to flavour (and when it comes to making the ultimate Cottage Pie, flavour is where it’s at)! Gluten free Worcestershire sauce is relatively easy to source (excuse the pun). There are now several big brands that make a gluten free version and even a couple of supermarket own brands (Tesco being one).
I use Henderson’s Relish which is perfect for the job and is made naturally gluten free! As Matt Helders from the Artic Monkeys says “It’s like Worcester Sauce but one million times better”!
If you can’t find either of these, then you have the option to substitute with gluten free yeast extract at just a ½ tbsp per recipe batch.
Potatoes for mashing
For smooth and buttery mash, make sure you use potatoes that are best for mashing! King Edward, Maris Piper, Russet, Desirée and Yukon Gold are all great varieties.
Cheese
Topping your gluten free Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash is optional but SO worth it. Cheese makes everything better, right? I add cheese directly to the mash and then sprinkle a little on the top as well. However, if you prefer to use only on top, or to leave the mash plain, that’s fine too.
Choose a good strong, sharp, hard cheese that melts well. I use mature (or sometimes extra mature) Cheddar Cheese. But any alternative that fits the criteria is fine.
Tips to make the best gluten free Cottage Pie ever!
Cottage Pie is really easy to make! However… For the BEST Cottage Pie, I’m sharing my tips and tricks for squeezing the most flavour out of the ingredients and to get a pie that is as memorable as it is delicious…
- Fry the onion FIRST. This helps it to soften before adding the mince and to start flavour-release. It continues to cook after the mince is added, infusing flavour into the juices. And as it gently starts to caramelise, the flavour is intensified.
- Chop the carrot and celery small. While they are important to flavour and texture, Cottage Pie is not about big lumps of veg.
- Add the concentrated tomato puree BEFORE adding the liquid. This is really important. A lot of recipes add it at the same time as the stock… They’re missing the best trick! If you add the tomato so it coats the meat and veg and briefly fry it while the pan is relatively dry, you caramelise the natural sugars for a more intense, complex, umami flavour.
- Don’t skip the red wine or the Worcestershire sauce (or alternatives)… They’re also important to flavour complexity and richness.
- Simmer well! No one wants a watery Cottage Pie… The filling should be a thick, meaty gravy consistency. Too much excess liquid will not only look and taste unpleasant, but will soak into the mash before serving and make that watery too.
- Cook the potatoes until soft… A knife should slide through easily with no resistance.
- Drain the potatoes well and then return them to the dry pan for mashing.
- Bake until the top starts to brown and crisp.
Can I make Cottage Pie ahead?
This recipe can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge. Once the pie is layered and topped with mash and before baking in the oven, let it cool and cover the top with foil or cling film.
NOTE: If cooking from chilled, add an additional 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time and ensure the Cottage Pie is piping hot in the middle before serving.
Can I freeze Cottage Pie?
Yes… It can be frozen either before or after baking.
If frozen before baking, it should be defrosted and cooked as per normal instructions.
However, gluten free Cottage Pie is also perfect for batch cooking, ready to re-heat as a speedy meal. Or to freeze as leftover portions! In this case, bake, cool and portion the pie… Transfer to freezer-safe containers with lids… Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: (from frozen or defrosted)… Cover to prevent drying, and pop in the oven (180 C), air fryer (160 C), or microwave until piping hot all the way through.
Or… Make the filling ahead and freeze this on its own ready to top with mash and bake when you’re ready. Store in an airtight freezer bag or container, frozen for up to 2 months!
Can I use this recipe to make Shepherd’s Pie?
Yes. To make a Shepherd’s Pie using lamb mince, simply switch the minced beef for minced lamb. And use a lamb stock cube instead of beef stock.
Ready to make gluten free Cottage Pie?
Thank you for reading. My recipe for Cottage Pie is below. I hope you love it.
If you have any questions, let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom. Or you can message me on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest) or email at kate@glutenfreealchemist.com.
If you’re looking for more delicious meals, check out my dedicated Gluten Free Meals Index. And for everything else, the main Gluten Free Recipe Index is the best place to start your gluten free kitchen journey.
Happy cooking
Kate x
Cottage Pie (gluten free)
Key equipment
- oven-proof dish
- 2 large saucepan
- oven + hob
- potato masher
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp sunflower or other cooking oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 500 g beef mince (ground beef) (5% fat)
- 2 medium carrots (finely chopped)
- 1 large celery stick (finely chopped) – or 2 if the sticks are thinner
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree – heaped (tomato paste)
- 1½ tbsp corn starch (UK cornflour)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
- 380 ml beef stock (use 1 gluten free stock cube)
- 60 ml red wine (alcohol free as preferred)
- 2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
- 1¼ tbsp Henderson’s relish or gluten free Worcestershire sauce (if you can't find either of these, use ½ tbsp GF yeast extract)
- sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
Mash
- 1.3 kg potatoes (suitable for mashing) – approx weight
- 25 g unsalted butter (dairy free as required)
- 110 ml milk (dairy free as required)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
- 120 g mature Cheddar cheese or alternative strong, sharp cheese – (optional) – grated (dairy free as required)
Instructions
Beef Filling
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onion and gently fry until opaque.
- Add the mince and continue to fry over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently until gently browned.
- Add the carrot, celery and garlic and continue to fry over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently until softened.
- Add the tomato puree and stir through.
- Add the cornflour (starch), thyme and parsley and stir well to ensure the flour is evenly distributed. Cook for a further couple of minutes.
- Add the stock, red wine, bay leaves and Worcester Sauce/Henderson’s Relish/yeast extract. Stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring intermittently.
- If after 30 minutes the filling is still ‘watery’, remove the lid from the pan and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes or so, stirring frequently to reduce slightly until it has a thick, gravy consistency. Turn off the heat when ready and set aside.
(Cheesy) Mash topping
- While the filling is simmering, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks.
- Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water (so the water just covers the potatoes) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the potatoes for around 20 to 25 minutes until a knife goes through easily.
- When ready, drain the potatoes well using a colander and then return to the dry pan.
- Add the butter, milk and salt and mash well until smooth with no lumps.
- Check the seasoning level and adjust as preferred.
- If adding cheese to make cheesy mash, add about three-quarters of the grated cheddar and stir through until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Assembling and Baking the Cottage Pie
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F.
- Transfer the meat filling into a suitable, oven-proof dish (mine was 9 inch square) and remove the bay leaves.
- Carefully and evenly distribute dollops of the mashed potato over the top of the filling. Spread evenly to cover completely until it meets the sides of the dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top and place in the oven.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. (If the pie has been baked from chilled it may need another 10 to 15 minutes. Check the filling is piping hot right through!).
- Serve as it is or with extra green veg.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Gluten Free Cottage Pie shared with
- Fiesta Friday #636 with Angie
- Full Plate Thursday #789 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Second time of making this delightful dish, first time was last week.
It may take 1hr:15min for girls, but it took this boy more like 4hr:30min., due to preparation time mainly.
I used Hendersons and Cornflour, Cheddar, and Cote de Beaune, dried parsley, and followed all the ingredients and methods exactly, apart from not putting milk in the mash. I like my mash a bit drier.
Well done Kate!
Thank you Peter. Hopefully the time spent was more than worth the effort ♥️.
Great recipe. Definitely more flavoursome than others I’ve tried. And also more juicy. Thank you.
Thank you so much Sarah. So glad that you enjoyed it xx