Name: Southern Cottage Pie
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds mini red potatoes (quartered, boiled until tender, and drained); 2 pounds ground beef; 4-5 green onions (chopped); 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic ((+ 1/4 teaspoon for cheese sauce)); salt & pepper to taste ((+ 1/4 teaspoon each for cheese sauce)); 1 pint half and half cream; 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese; 2 deep-dish, refrigerated pie crusts

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A double crust dinner pie loaded with savory ground beef, tender new potatoes and a melt-y cheddar cheese sauce, Southern Cottage Pie is the epitome of hearty family comfort food. It’s way easier than you think!

You also must try Meat & Potatoes Ranch Au Gratin! Similar to this recipe, but no crust!

A slice of double crusted cottage pie with ground beef, red potatoes and cheese sauce on a brown plate with purple napkins.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Imagine if Shepherd’s Pie and Pot Pie got together and lost their vegetables. This southern-style cottage pie would totally be the result!
Seasoned ground beef, tender new potatoes + a tempting, creamy cheese sauce, wrapped up top and bottom in crisp, golden crust. Everybody loves it! Need I say more?
Add a simple green salad with my easy mayo vinaigrette, and you’ve easily got a whole meal!
Prep it ahead of time by browning the meat and boiling the potatoes so there’s all but the assembling left when it comes meal time.
This is an ideal meal to take to a friend or neighbor who needs a hand or just an extra kindness.

A meat and potatoes pie baked in a double crust with several slice already served and one pie wedge ready to serve. — Don’t you just love the purple latticework dinner napkins in the recipe photos? I love their weight and that they’re a simple wash + dry at home. They’re ideal for lining bread baskets and trays too. You gotta have them for Mardi Gras (especially with 20% off using discount code SOUTHERNDISCOURSE ! ) You can see them in my #1 Louisiana Dirty Rice recipe video also. I really do use them!

I ate this ground beef pot pie growing up. We called it “meat pie,” and it was one of my absolute favorites. A yummy morsel in a crust that deserved a perfect little name like a parcel or a pocket. It said comfort food like nothing else. A family meal, Southern Cottage Pie felt like home.

When I got married, I took up the mantle of making “meat pie” for my own family. It’s one of those dishes that, as soon as it hits the oven, everyone seems to wander in, peek in the oven full of hop, and ask “Are you making that pie for dinner?”

Recipe Ingredients & Overview

The simple ingredients to make southern cottage meat pie, including ground beef and potatoes, with text overlays for easy identification.

I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!

Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.

lean ground beef
new red potatoes, quartered, boiled until tender and drained
sharp cheddar cheese
half + half cream
green onions
pre-prepared pie crusts (refrigrated, roll out pie crusts)
salt + pepper
minced garlic

Recipe Variations: Combine equal parts ground beef and ground sausage for even more savory flavor.

Want to add some veggies? Go ahead and throw in those peas and carrots for good measure.

How to Southern Cottage Pie

A four part collage showing the main steps to making a southern meat and potatoes cottage-style shepherd's pie.

Boil the Potatoes. Quarter your potatoes and put them on the stove top to boil in generously salted water. While the potatoes are boiling, it’s good time to brown the ground beef and make the cheese sauce so that all of your ingredients are prepared when it’s time to assemble and bake your pie.

Brown the Meat. Use a large skillet to brown the meat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to season to taste. Chop the green onions and add to the meat as it is browning. When browned, set aside to cool. (If you use lean ground beef, there shouldn’t be any grease to drain away.)

Make the Easy Cheese Sauce. In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, slowly warm the cream. Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic. When the cream is warm, add the cheese ½ cup at a time, stirring until melted each time. When all of the cheese is completely melted, remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble the Pie. Spray the bottom and sides of your skillet with no-stick cooking spray so your crust doesn’t stick. Line the bottom of the skillet with one of the pre-made crusts.

Fill the bottom of the crust with the browned meat, then cover with the potatoes. Then pour your cheese sauce over the top. Finish with the second crust, sealing with the 2 crusts together and crimping.

Bake. Cut some slits in the center of the pie to vent the air as it is baking. Pop it in the oven, and let bake for 45 min- 1 hour. Let cool 10-15 min before slicing and serving.

A double-crusted southern cottage, filled with meat and potatoes pulled fresh from the oven to show the golden brown crust.

Tips for Making the BEST Cottage Pie

Be careful not to over brown the ground meat or over boil the potatoes as all of the ingredients will continue to cook as the pie bakes. So “just browned” and “fork tender,” but not falling apart is the way to go.
I use this 10 inch cast iron skillet by Lodge to bake this pot pie-style pie. I think it works SO MUCH better than a 9 inch deep dish pie plate when it comes to holding all the the ingredients. (For storing my cast iron and other skillets, this storage rack is a true space saver for me.)
Sealing and crimping the pie crusts can get messy or start to seem like a disaster because the pie is so full, but don’t give up! It will all turn out in the end! This step simply takes a little patience.

A wedge of ground beef pot pie in a skillet ready to serve to show how to slice and serve.

Storing & Freezing

Leftover Southern Cottage Pie should last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if tightly covered. To reheat single servings, simply use the microwave. The air fryer is perfection if you like a crisp reheated crust (like me)!

This cottage pie recipe makes a great freezer meal. Bake pie and let it cool completely before covering tightly and freezing. Your pie can last up to 2 months in the freezer.

To reheat, let your pie sit out for 30 minutes. Then bake covered for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower oven temp to 400 and continue to bake for another 30-45 minutes. Use a kitchen thermometer to check readiness. When pie reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, it is ready to serve!

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