You can’t go wrong with shepherd’s pie!

When my H was alive we had cottage pie weekly and even after my GD came to live with me we had it regularly but I suddenly went off any thing with mince in it, it was both texture and taste.
Considering that I had been enjoying it for 80 something years I was surprised, but I agree that a well made Cottage pie with the right balance of ingredients and a super creamy mash top is a joy and I have always felt that teaching pupils how to make it at school should be compulsory, it would eliminate many a junk food meal.
It can be very economical with lots of veg included and. I have a recipe somewhere with red lentils bulking out the mince.
Well done for satisfying your guests an and proving to your French friend that English cooking is not all bad.

Actually, there is a French dish which is very similar to a cottage pie - it's called hachis parmentier.

In one version I would put a layer of sautéed leeks on top of the mince before the mash topping and sometimes added the sautéed leeks to the mash itself just for variety.
As a family we love leeks along with most veg.

I make a very nice vegetarian version (gardeners' pie, allotment pie?) using soya mince, marmite, root vegetables, onions, butterbeans and herbs. all topped off with fresh mash.

Written down it sounds a bit disgusting but actually it is very tasty.

Love shepherds pie I make single portion ones for myself and freeze, but when my daughter and GD come to stay they always request it with grated cheese topping and plenty of gravy so i make a large one there is enough for seconds that way. It’s always mince beef though I loathe lamb mince tried it once YUK!!!

Always a favourite meal here. I sometimes add cheese to the mash.
My first mum-in-law used to add a can of baked beans to hers to make it go further. She was an expert at making a meal out of not a lot. If she invited us to stay for a meal she would often say "you'll just have to shout hello to the meat!"

Usedtobeblonde, I always add a good handful of red lentils, and assorted veg finely chopped: onion, carrot, celery, swede or turnip or both, mushrooms, often potato for thickening, and usually baked beans (drained of too much juice) too.

It's one of the few things that is ok with Quorn mince IME. It's a good staple meal that most people like, and can be made without too much faff if you need to feed a few people at short notice. I always have a bag of Quorn Mince in the freezer and there are usually potatoes in the garage. You can improvise with the rest.

It's NOT shepherd's pie unless it's made with lamb mince. Sorry, but I don't make the rules...

ViceVersa

It's NOT shepherd's pie unless it's made with lamb mince. Sorry, but I don't make the rules...

To be fair, the OP began with ‘Strictly speaking, cottage pie….’

Calendargirl

ViceVersa

It's NOT shepherd's pie unless it's made with lamb mince. Sorry, but I don't make the rules...

To be fair, the OP began with ‘Strictly speaking, cottage pie….’

I did see that, but I was speaking more in a general sense - and light-heartedly too!

We like minced chicken or minced turkey “shepherd’s pie”. What should I call that?
I was put off any version of minced meat through school dinners. Somehow I always get at least one piece of gristle even when I made it for DH.

Since the price of beef mince has escalated I now use turkey. I also replace the potato topping with cauliflower mash as I am on a low carb diet. It is just as tasty in my opinion.

I make a veggie version with Asda meat free mince, not quorn mince I don’t like it, and plenty of diced courgette, onions, carrots, and peas. The mash is topped with grated mature cheddar.
Am not a great cook but this is my go-to dish and the family love it.

jusnoneed

Always a favourite meal here. I sometimes add cheese to the mash.
My first mum-in-law used to add a can of baked beans to hers to make it go further. She was an expert at making a meal out of not a lot. If she invited us to stay for a meal she would often say "you'll just have to shout hello to the meat!"

When I had three hungry teenagers still at home I used to empty a tin of baked beans on top of the mince layer before I added the mashed potatoes on top.

You can't get lamb here in Germany except at Easter, let alone minced lamb. The default here is mi,ed mincemeat with, I suspect, more pork than beef.

I have always made it with minced beef and it has always been a family favourite. Recently we were all together at DS1's and he made three huge dishes between 11 of us.Two were mincemeat, one vegetarian with soya-based mincemeat. They all got eaten with alacrity.

It's a great way to use up vegetables left in the fridge and if you cut them up tiny or grate them, you can smuggle them on to the kids' plates as well.

I sometimes add a can of condensed mushroom soup to mine and occasionally baked beans.

In DH’s family it was always known as Dhobi Pudding.
Why?
Complicated, but the family had many strange names for everyday things, possibly going back several generations.

His father was brought up in India where shepherds «watched over their flocks» as in the Christmas Carol.
«Shepherds « became «Watchmen»
Possibly the cook was responsible for the next step-
«Watchmen» became «washermen»
Hence «Dhobi»
And Grandpop used to like to render «Pie» as «pudding» as in Steak & Kidney
So 5 steps from Shepherds Pie to Dhobi Pudding!

shysal

Since the price of beef mince has escalated I now use turkey. I also replace the potato topping with cauliflower mash as I am on a low carb diet. It is just as tasty in my opinion.

Cauliflower mash! Mmmmm even DH loves it.

shysal

Since the price of beef mince has escalated I now use turkey. I also replace the potato topping with cauliflower mash as I am on a low carb diet. It is just as tasty in my opinion.

I’ve used mashed swede before for the same reason.

For something different Google "Nigel Slater's shepherd's pie with spiced parsnip mash recipe". It's a favourite with us and would work with lamb or beef mince.

M&S do a really nice gf Cottage Pie and I always have one in the freezer.

We used to have Lester Christmases - all 5 children, spouses and grandchildren came to us on Christmas day. Alternate years we had non Lester Christmases where they went to their spouse's parents. Oon non Lester Christmases we got together a couple of days later and traditionally had Cottage Pie. One year I made enough for 23 people.

As I say - M&S do a good one - for 2!

A favourite in our house too.

Yes, Dhobi is the clothes washerman/woman. Would collect the dirty clothes from the house, take them away and bring them back spotless , collars starched and everything ironed - gone are those days !