Mini Single Portion Cottage Pies! These savoury delights boast a golden potato topping that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. Beneath that inviting layer lies a rich and hearty minced beef filling.
What is Cottage Pie?
Cottage pie is a traditional British dish consisting of minced beef, cooked with vegetables and a rich gravy. It is topped with mashed potatoes, which are then baked until golden and crispy.
These mini cottage pies are perfect for indulging in your own cozy portion of this classic goodness, making them an ideal addition to any meal or a standalone treat for when you crave a taste of homey delight.
These delicious mini cottage pies serves four people and has 461 calories per serving (no sides).
If you’re looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you’ll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of400+ calorie recipes.
If you’re following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it’s important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients for Mini Cottage Pies
To prepare these mini cottage pies, here are some notes on the ingredients used:
Onions: a mixture of both red and white onions are used in this recipe
Sugar: only a little is used and helps with the caramelization, for this reason I don’t recommend using a sweetener.
Garlic: fresh garlic minced, but lazy or jarred mince garlic is fine also.
Tomato Paste (Puree) – this is concentrated tomato paste
Balsamic Vinegar: use a good quality brand for the best taste
Dried herbs: sage, thyme and rosemary impart of delicious flavour to the gravy
Stock: It’s crucial to use the right ratio of stock cubes for the required amount of stock. Not all stock cubes are the same, and using the wrong amount can result in either a bland and watery broth or an overly salty stock.
Beef Mince (Ground Beef): use extra lean 5% fat to keep the calories low.
Carrots – medium sized, finely chopped
Celery – medium stalks, finely chopped
Potatoes – I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes, these are a semi waxy potato. These work best as they create a lovely buttery flavoured mash without the need to use any butter or milk. Look for Elfe potatoes in the UK or a similar type of semi waxy potato.
Egg yolks – don’t skip on these as an ingredient, they create a lovely smooth and creamy mashed potato.
Salt and Pepper: These essential flavour enhancers play a crucial role in elevating the taste of your dishes. We use them to season the steak bites and recommend using them to season the final dish to taste as well. They ensure your food is never bland when used appropriately.
Low Calorie Spray: use your preferred brand. I like to opt for one without any emulsifiers, such as a avocado or olive oil spray.
Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you’re all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions
Rich Homemade Onion Gravy
To create the rich and delicious gravy for these mini cottage pies, we start by making a flavourful base sauce. This sauce includes onions, garlic, dried herbs, and a few additional ingredients such as sugar, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste, which enhance caramelization and flavour.
After caramelizing and simmering these ingredients in stock until their flavours meld, they are blended into a smooth sauce, which serves as the delectable rich gravy for the mini cottage pies. No need for a fancy blender; a simple stick immersion blender right in the saucepan works perfectly.
It’s important not to rush or skip this step, as it significantly contributes to the overall taste. If preferred, you can prepare the gravy portion a day in advance.
Pro tip: Consider doubling or tripling the gravy ingredients to make a larger batch. This is great if you enjoy extra gravy to drizzle over your cottage pies after baking or if you want to freeze portions for future meals.
Making Perfect Mashed Potatoes without Butter and Milk
If you’re calorie-conscious but dislike dry, non-creamy mashed potatoes, the secret to creating the best low-calorie version is to opt for semi-waxy golden potatoes. These varieties avoid excessive dryness in the absence of butter.
Cooking them in stock instead of water, just enough to cover them, enhances flavour as the potatoes absorb the stock during cooking. Afterward, mash the potatoes and incorporate two egg yolks, which lend creaminess and promote a lovely golden finish when baked atop the meaty cottage pie filling. Don’t forget to taste and season your mash too with some salt and black pepper.
Sides for Mini Cottage Pies
Here are some side dishes that pair well with mini cottage pies:
Steamed Vegetables: A medley of steamed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and green beans provides a healthy and colorful complement to the rich flavors of cottage pies.
Garden Peas or Corn: We love frozen garden peas or corn alongside our cottage pies, they are nice and quick to cook to and require minimal effort.
Cabbage or Kale – sauteed cabbage or kale adds a hearty iron rich side to the cottage pies and is delicious with some additional gravy if you make extra.
Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, Green Beans or Asparagus – simple roasted with salt, black pepper a little garlic powder and coated in some olive oil spray.
FAQ for Mini Cottage Pies
Can these Mini Cottage Pies be frozen?
Yes, I recommend freezing before the baking stage. Then when you are ready to cook, defrost in the fridge overnight and follow the steps to bake in the oven.
Can this be made Vegetarian?
Yes, swap the beef and chicken stock for vegetable stock and use a meat replacement for the ground beef like quorn or soy crumbles.
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Recipe Card
Yield: SERVES 4
Mini Cottage Pies
Mini Single Portion Cottage Pies! These savoury delights boast a golden potato topping that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. Beneath that inviting layer lies a rich and hearty minced beef filling
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour40 minutes
Ingredients
350g (12.5oz) of red onion, sliced
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
½ teaspoon of dried thyme
¼ teaspoon of ground sage
3 cups (720ml) of beef stock
455g (1lb) of 5% fat ground beef (beef mince)
1 large onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
salt and black pepper
800g (28oz) of Yukon gold potatoes (or similar potato), peeled and chopped
2 large egg yolks
low calorie spray
enough chicken stock to cover (approx 600ml)
Instructions
To prepare the gravy:
Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the onion and sugar. Fry for about 10 minutes, stirring intermittently until the onions are softened and starting to brown.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for a few more minutes until the onion starts to caramelize.
Add garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Stir to combine.
Pour in the stock, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, allowing the stock to reduce slightly, and the onions to become very soft.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Set it aside.
To prepare the cottage pie:
In a deep frying pan, add the ground beef, onion, celery, and carrots. Fry until the beef is browned.
Pour in the prepared gravy, season to taste with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes until the gravy is thickened all around the meat and is lovely and rich.
While the cottage pie filling is simmering, place the potatoes in a deep saucepan and cover them with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain off any excess stock and mash the potatoes. If they become too dry, you can add a little of the reserved stock as needed.
Stir in the egg yolks and mash until the potatoes are creamy. Season well with salt and black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) / 200°C / 400°F (gas mark 6).
Divide the minced beef mixture into 4 mini round casserole dishes (approximately 5.5 inches each).
Top the beef mixture with the mashed potatoes and smooth it over with a fork.
Spray the tops with low-calorie cooking spray.
Place the mini casserole dishes on a baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden.
Serve with your choice of sides and enjoy!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
Calories – scroll down to nutritional info box
WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs – due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
Dairy Free Friendly
Gluten Free Friendly – use gluten free stock
Suitable for Freezing ❄️
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Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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