Mary Berry Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes​ Recipe

This decadent Mary Berry Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes is made with a rich, savoury beef mince filling in a flavourful gravy, all topped with a luxurious layer of creamy, cheesy sliced potatoes. This recipe creates an incredibly rich, savoury, and deeply comforting main course, swapping the traditional mash for a bubbling, golden crust of tender potatoes. Perfect for a special family meal on a chilly winter evening, this ultimate comfort food dish serves 6 people.

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Mary Berry Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes Ingredients

For the Beef Filling:

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 500g (1lb 2oz) lean beef mince
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml (18fl oz) hot beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dauphinoise Topping:

• 750g (1lb 10oz) King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
• 25g (1oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200ml (7fl oz) double cream
• 100ml (3½fl oz) full-fat milk
• 75g (3oz) Gruyère cheese, grated

How To Make Mary Berry Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes

1. Start the beef filling. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole dish. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened.
2. Brown the mince. Add the beef mince to the pan, increase the heat, and fry until it is well browned all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
3. Create the gravy. Stir in the plain flour and cook for one minute. Gradually pour in the hot beef stock, stirring constantly until smooth. Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer the filling. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover, and let it cook gently for at least 30 minutes, or until the sauce is rich and has thickened.
5. Prepare for the topping. While the filling simmers, preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C Fan, Gas Mark 3). Rub the inside of a 1.5-litre (2½ pint) ovenproof dish with the cut side of the garlic clove, then grease it with butter.
6. Slice the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and slice them as thinly as possible using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Do not rinse the slices.
7. Heat the cream. In a saucepan, gently heat the double cream, milk, and butter until the butter has melted. Do not let it boil.
8. Assemble the pie. Spoon the cooked beef filling into the prepared dish and level the top. Carefully arrange the sliced potatoes over the mince in overlapping layers, like tiles on a roof.
9. Add the topping and bake. Pour the hot cream mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the grated Gruyère cheese. Bake for 1–1¼ hours, until the potatoes are completely tender and the top is golden-brown and bubbling.
10. Rest before serving. Let the pie stand for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow it to set slightly.

Recipe Tips

• Ensure a Thick Filling: Simmer your beef filling until it is a good, thick consistency. If the gravy is too thin, the potato topping may sink or become watery.
• Slice Potatoes Thinly: For the dauphinoise topping to become meltingly tender, the potato slices must be very thin and uniform. A mandoline is the best tool for this.
• Prevent Over-Browning: If the potato topping is browning too quickly before the potatoes are fully cooked, simply lay a piece of foil loosely over the top of the dish for the remainder of the cooking time.
• Make Ahead for Ease: You can make the beef filling a day in advance and store it in the fridge. When ready to cook, simply top with the freshly sliced potatoes and cream mixture and bake as directed.

What To Serve Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes

This dish is incredibly rich and satisfying, so it only needs simple side dishes. It is perfectly complemented by steamed green vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, or buttered cabbage. Garden peas or roasted carrots also work very well.

How To Store Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Once completely cool, cover the dish with foil or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: To reheat, place the dish in an oven preheated to 180°C (160°C Fan) for about 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the topping is bubbling.

Mary Berry Cottage Pie With Dauphinoise Potatoes Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/6th of the pie

• Calories: 550 kcal
• Total Fat: 32g
• Saturated Fat: 17g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 650mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 34g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 30g

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use lamb mince instead of beef? Yes, absolutely. If you use lamb mince, you will be making a Shepherd’s Pie. The flavour will be slightly richer, and it will be equally delicious with the dauphinoise topping.
• My potato topping is still hard, but the filling is cooked. What should I do? This usually means the potato slices were too thick. You can cover the dish with foil to stop the top from burning and continue to bake until a knife can be inserted into the potatoes with no resistance.
• Can I prepare the whole dish in advance? It is best to prepare the filling in advance and assemble the potato topping just before baking. Sliced potatoes can discolour if left to sit for too long, even in the cream mixture.
• Is there a way to make this dish a little lighter? This is a deliberately indulgent dish. While you could try using a 5% fat mince, substituting the double cream with a lighter alternative is not recommended as it will create a much thinner sauce that is prone to splitting during the long bake.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Individual Dauphinoise Potatoes​ Recipe
• Mary Berry Dauphinoise Potatoes​ Recipe
• Mary Berry Chicken And Mushroom Lasagne Recipe​