What is the difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie?
The difference is the meat. Shepherd's pie is made with minced lamb, while cottage pie is made with minced beef. Both are topped with mashed potato and baked until golden.
The name shepherd's pie makes sense because shepherds look after sheep. Cottage pie is an older name, used from the late 1700s for pies made with leftover meat and topped with potato.
In both dishes, the minced meat is cooked with onions, carrots and gravy or stock before being covered with mashed potato.
Comfort food
Both pies are classic English comfort foods, especially popular in winter. They are served in homes, pubs and school canteens.
Some recipes add grated cheese on top of the mashed potato. Variations include fish pie, made with fish in a creamy sauce under potato.
The dishes developed as a way to use leftover roast meat from Sunday dinner.
Today, people often mix up the names, but food writers and chefs usually insist on the distinction between lamb and beef.
Some cooks add Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree or herbs such as thyme and rosemary to the meat for extra flavor.