Fluffy Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes Recipe

There are few meals more comforting or simple than a humble baked potato. With its crisp outer skin and light, fluffy insides, a baked potato is delicious on its own or paired with a wide variety of fillings. It's a great meal option for basically any occasion, from a quiet weekday meal for one to a crowd-pleasing dinner for a large gathering.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with eating your baked potato as it is, why not step up your game and make these fluffy cottage pie baked potatoes? Created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, this recipe takes the humble baked potato up a notch (or three) by combining it with a similarly ultra-comforting cottage pie recipe. Ground beef is stewed alongside classic cottage pie ingredients to create a rich, minced-meat mixture. This is then used to fill hollowed-out baked potatoes, which are topped with delightfully fluffy mash that is created from the discarded inners of the potatoes. Finished off with a sprinkling of sharp cheddar before being baked once more, these fluffy cottage pie baked potatoes are definitely something to write home about.

To begin this fluffy cottage pie baked potatoes recipe, you will first need to gather the ingredients. For the cottage pie mince mixture, you will want ground beef, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, a can of chopped tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning. You will additionally need baking potatoes, olive oil, salt, black pepper, milk, butter, nutmeg, and cheddar cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare the potatoes by pricking them all over with a fork, then coating them in 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Place the potatoes into the oven to bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high in a large pan.

Add the ground beef, season it well with salt and pepper, and brown it for 5–6 minutes.

Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

Saute for 6–8 minutes, until soft.

Return the browned beef to the pan along with the canned tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat.

When the potatoes are cooked, set aside to cool for 15 minutes and turn up the oven to 400 F.

Cut the tops off of the potatoes and scoop out the soft potato insides.

In a large bowl, mix together the potato insides, milk, butter, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Mash it well to make the potatoes super fluffy.

Spoon the beef mixture into the hollowed out potato skins.

Top the meat layer with spoonfuls of the fluffy mashed potato.

Sprinkle the potatoes with the grated cheddar cheese.

Place the filled potatoes into the oven to bake for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serve the potatoes hot from the oven.

This cottage pie baked potato recipe is a wonderful twist on the classic cottage pie dish, and it combines the layers of minced beef and fluffy mashed potato with delicious baked potatoes to create one, knockout meal. There are plenty of ways this recipe can be adapted to suit dietary needs or personal preferences. For a simple flavor swap, why not substitute the beef mince, which is classically used in cottage pies, for another kind of mince? Try turkey for a leaner meal, or lamb for a richer resulting dish. Alternatively, this recipe can easily be adapted for a vegetarian diet by using Quorn mince, lentils, or another vegetarian protein alternative.

If you prefer sweet potatoes, why not swap the regular baking potatoes for a sweet variety? This can add a unique twist to the resulting dish, and the flavors pair beautifully. For smaller adaptations, the cheese on top can easily be substituted for a different variety, such as parmesan or gruyère. And, if you are looking for a way to eat more vegetables, this recipe provides a great opportunity to sneak more into the mince mixture.

These cottage pie baked potatoes can be served in a variety of delicious ways. One option is to serve them as individual portions for a main meal, where they create a visually appealing presentation and allow for easy portion control. You can pair them with your favorite sides, such as some simple steamed or grilled veggies. And, no cottage pie would be complete without lashings of beef gravy.

Alternatively, if you're catering for a large group, why not serve these potatoes as part of a buffet? Because they look like a hearty and satisfying potato "boat" filled with the delicious cottage pie filling, they are quite well self-contained, and you could even treat them as finger food. If that is your intention, it's probably best to hunt for potatoes that are on the small side. Gravy may not be the best accompaniment in this context, so you could consider serving them alongside some crème fraîche, which your guests can dollop on top for a zingy creamy counterpoint to the dish. If you're really looking to impress, make your own crème fraîche.