High-protein cottage pie
Hearty cottage pie boosted with red lentils and low‑fat cottage cheese for a protein-packed, family-friendly comfort dinner.
This is cottage pie with a clever protein boost — lean beef plus red lentils and low‑fat cottage cheese give you extra muscle-building grams without losing the cosy, stick-to-your-ribs comfort. Make it for a midweek family tea or batch-cook for lunches; it reheats beautifully and freezes well too. The lentils not only lift the protein but keep the filling moist and economical.
Ingredients
- 600 g lean beef mince
- 100 g red lentils — dried
- 800 g floury potatoes
- 200 g low-fat cottage cheese
- 150 g frozen peas
- 1 brown onion — large, finely chopped
- 1 carrot — medium, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks — finely diced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — trimmed and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 15 ml olive oil
- 15 ml plain flour
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 400 ml reduced-salt beef stock
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml fresh thyme — leaves picked
- 25 g butter
- 50 ml milk — warm
- 1 medium egg — beaten, for glaze
- 5 ml sea salt
- black pepper — to taste
- 10 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, to garnish
Equipment
- ovenproof 20x30cm baking dish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks so they cook evenly.
Place the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil then simmer until tender when pierced with a knife.
While the potatoes cook, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of sea salt and sweat until softened but not browned.
Increase the heat, add the lean beef mince and chestnut mushrooms and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until the mince has lost its pink colour and is beginning to brown.
Stir in the garlic, plain flour and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the reduced-salt beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and red lentils, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook until the lentils are soft and the mixture has thickened.
Stir in the frozen peas, low-fat cottage cheese and fresh thyme, then season with black pepper and adjust salt if needed. Cook for a further 2 minutes to heat through.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return to the pan. Mash with the butter, warm milk and the remaining low-fat cottage cheese until smoothish — you want texture, not completely whipped. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Spoon the meat and lentil mixture into an ovenproof 20x30cm baking dish, level it, then spoon the mash on top and rough up the surface with a fork. Brush the mash with the beaten medium egg for a golden finish.
Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Allow the pie to rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with fresh parsley and serve.
Tips
- Use red lentils: they break down during cooking to thicken the filling and add protein without a noticeable lentil texture.
- Drain potatoes very thoroughly and mash while hot; trapped water is the common cause of a gluey mash.
- If you prefer a lighter top, omit the beaten egg and finish under the oven grill for a couple of minutes — watch it closely.
- Make ahead: assemble and chill for up to 24 hours before baking; add 5–10 minutes to the baking time if baking from chilled.
- Leftovers freeze well — cool completely, freeze in portions for up to 2 months, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
Substitutions
lean beef mince → lean turkey mince, same quantity
Stays closered lentils → brown or green lentils (pre-cooked/tinned), 200g tinned drained
Noticeably differentlow-fat cottage cheese → Greek yoghurt, 150g (slightly tangier and creamier)
Stays closeplain flour → cornflour, 1 tbsp mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (add at end of simmer to thicken)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 630
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 56 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Swap the beef mince for a plant-based mince and use vegetable stock instead of beef stock; protein will be lower unless you add extra lentils or a pulse-based mince.
My filling is too runny — what went wrong?
Either the lentils need longer to break down or too much stock was used. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes to reduce, or stir in a little extra plain flour mixed with cold water and cook for 2–3 minutes.
How do I reheat leftovers so the mash stays fluffy?
Reheat gently in a low oven (160°C fan/180°C conventional) covered with foil for 20–25 minutes, or portion in a microwave and loosen the mash with a splash of milk before heating.
Can I use leftover mash for the topping?
Yes — use cold leftover mash, bring to room temperature, beat with a little milk and butter before topping to restore creaminess.
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