Meals
Can You Freeze Cottage Pie?

Can You Freeze Cottage Pie?

Cottage pie is a classic weeknight dinner and a firm favourite in our household, although I prefer to make it with leftover roast beef rather than mince. As it’s easy to make and tastes delicious you may have wondered whether you can freeze cottage pie to have as a handy readymade dinner.

What Is Cottage Pie?

Cottage pie is a traditional English dish consisting of beef mince in gravy with onions and other vegetables and topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. It is then baked in the oven until the mashed potato has turned golden in colour.

It can be made in a large dish or smaller individual portions and is usually served with vegetables and sometimes chips and extra gravy.

Cottage Pie Vs Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is a very similar dish which is made with lamb instead of beef. Both dishes are very popular throughout the U.K. and are considered a typical British weeknight dinner.

Can You Freeze Cottage Pie?

The good news is that yes, you can freeze cottage pie.

This makes it an excellent dish for making ahead of time and freezing in batches. You can also freeze your leftovers ready to eat another day.

Can You Freeze Cottage Pie Made With Frozen Mince?

Yes, you can freeze cottage pie made with frozen mince. This is because the mince will have been cooked when you made cottage pie, so it is safe to freeze it again.

Can You Freeze Shepherd’s pie?

Yes, you can freeze shepherd’s pie. Just like cottage pie, shepherd’s pie freezes really well.

Can You Freeze Cooked Cottage Pie / Shepherd’s Pie?

You can freeze both cooked cottage pie and cooked shepherd’s pie, either as a whole dish, in smaller portions or from leftovers.

The main thing to remember is that the pies need to be fully cooled before being wrapped up and placed in the freezer.

Can You Freeze Uncooked Cottage Pie / Shepherd’s Pie?

Yes, you can freeze uncooked cottage pie and uncooked shepherd’s pie. For this, I would be assuming that the base of either beef or lamb has been cooked and cooked mash has been added to the top but it hasn’t had a final bake in the oven to crisp up the potato.

If you’re making cottage pie or shepherd’s pie to freeze ahead of time this is a great way to do it as you don’t end up burning the potato topping when it gets reheated in the oven.

You could also freeze the meat and mashed potato components separately and then put them together as a pie once defrosted.

Can You Freeze Individual Cottage Pies?

Yes, you can freeze individual cottage pies.

In fact, small portions of cottage pie such as ones made in individual dishes are actually quicker to defrost and easier to reheat, so this is a great way go if you want to make and then freeze cottage pie as part of batch cooking or meal prep.

How To Freeze Cottage Pie / How To Freeze Shepherd’s Pie

The main thing to remember when freezing cottage pie or freezing shepherd’s pie is that it needs to be completely cooled before you put it in the freezer.

To speed up the cooling process you could divide the pie into smaller portions and place these in smaller dishes or use a water bath of cold water, ensuring the water doesn’t go over the edge of the pie dish.

If you’ve made a large pie then you may want to split it down into individual portions before freezing. This makes it easier to get out what you need and reduces thawing and reheating times too.

  1. Once cold, place the cottage pie into a freezer-safe container such as a Tupperware box or aluminium tray (the sort that comes with a cardboard lid)
  2. You could also wrap individual portions in a few layers of cling film.
  3. Label and date the pies so you know what they are and can easily see what date they need to be used by before placing them in the freezer.

How Long Does Cottage Pie Last In The Freezer?

Both Cottage pie and Shepherd’s pie will keep in the freezer for around three months. After this time they will still be perfectly safe to eat but might have started to reduce in quality.

For example, you might find there is less flavour once defrosted or that the cottage pie showing signs of freezer burn.

How To Defrost Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie

Both Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s pie should be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight.

For a family-sized pie (four portions or more) you may want to allow extra time for thawing of around 48 hours, just to make sure it is fully defrosted before cooking.

While you could reheat these pies without thawing first, I always find they need a very long cooking time and they tend to become dried and burnt before getting hot enough to serve.

So while it is possible, it’s not something I would recommend doing for the best results after freezing.

How To Reheat Cottage Pie/ How To Reheat Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Small individual cottage pies should take around 30 minutes to reheat while a large one may take up to an hour. If you’re worried about the mashed potato burning, cover it with foil and remove around 15 minutes before the end of cooking time to allow it to crisp up.

Always ensure the dish is piping hot all the way through (check the middle) before serving. You can do this using a food probe. The pie should be 75°c for at least 30 seconds or 80°c for at least 6 seconds. If it hasn’t reached this temperature, cook for a further few minutes.

You could also reheat individual portions of cottage pie or shepherd’s pie in the microwave. Heat on high for two minutes at a time, resting for a minute in between each until scalding hot in the middle. Pop under the grill for a few minutes to help crisp up the mashed potato.

Freezing Other Types Of Pie

Cottage pie isn’t the only type of pie that can be frozen. Take a look at our guides to freezing other types of pie below.

Can You Freeze Fish Pie?

Can You Freeze Cooked Pasties?

Can You Freeze Pecan Pie?