Spicy cottage pie with chilli mash is a tasty twist on a classic comfort dish. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare and cook, requiring moderate effort. The result is a hearty, aromatic pie with a rich beef filling and a creamy, spicy potato topping, accompanied by zesty sugar snap peas for a balanced meal.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
1 to 2 hours
Serves
Serves 4
By Poppy O’Toole
From Saturday Kitchen
This recipe contains a good balance of proteins and vegetables, but is high in saturated fats from the butter and cream (nutri-score).
Equipment

MALACASA £19.99

Sweejar Home £39.99

PYREX £24.49

Kitchen Craft £17.99
Ingredients
For the pie filling:
- Bacon lardons, 100g
- Olive oil, 2 tbsp
- Brown onion, 1, chopped
- Beef mince, 400g
- Carrot, 1, peeled and chopped
- Celery, 2 sticks, chopped
- Tomatoes, 2, chopped
- Garlic cloves, 3, crushed
- Soft apricots, 60g, chopped
- Beef or chicken stock, 1 litre
- Rose harissa, 2 tsp
- Toasted coriander seeds, ½ tsp
- Toasted cumin seeds, ½ tsp
- Dried red chilli flakes, pinch
- Fresh parsley and coriander, handful, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the mash:
- Maris Piper or Russet potatoes, 5 large, sliced into 2cm rounds
- Double cream, 150ml
- Salted butter, 100g
- Red chilli, 1, de-seeded and finely chopped
- Green chilli, 1, de-seeded and finely chopped
- Fresh parsley and coriander, small handful, chopped
- Lemon, squeeze
For the sugar snap peas:
- Sugar snap peas, 250g
- Butter, 10g
- Garlic clove, 1, finely grated
- Fresh mint leaves, 6
- Fresh coriander leaves, 6
- Feta cheese, 80g
- Sumac, pinch
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Prepare the Pie Filling
- Fry bacon lardons in olive oil over medium heat until golden.
- Add onions and cook for 10 minutes until caramelized.
- Add beef and remaining ingredients except herbs. Cook for 30 minutes until reduced to a thick gravy.
- Season with salt and pepper, stir in herbs, and pour into an ovenproof dish.
Make the Mash
- Boil potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Drain and steam dry for 5 minutes.
- Push potatoes through a sieve or use a ricer for smooth mash.
- Warm cream and add to potatoes with butter. Mix well.
- Stir in chopped chilli and herbs.
- Spread mash over pie filling.
Bake the Pie
- Preheat oven to 180ºC/200C Fan/Gas 4.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Prepare Sugar Snap Peas
- Boil peas for 40 seconds, then drain.
- Sauté with butter, garlic, and herbs for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve topped with crumbled feta and sumac.
Serve
- Sprinkle extra chilli or herbs over the pie.
- Serve alongside sugar snap peas.
Nutri-score Health Check
This recipe receives a Nutri-Score of C, indicating it’s moderately healthy. The score reflects a balance between nutritious ingredients and less healthy elements. On the positive side, it contains a good amount of vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, sugar snap peas) and lean protein from the beef mince. However, the recipe is high in saturated fats from the butter and cream used in the mash and the bacon lardons. To improve the score, consider using less butter and cream, or substituting with lower-fat alternatives. You could also increase the proportion of vegetables in the filling and use leaner cuts of meat.