Mini Beef & Veggie Cottage Pies

🛒Ingredients

Makes 4 mini pies. Tap to check off as you go.

• 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb (225 g) lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (70 g) frozen peas

Contains: milk.

🍳Instructions

1. 

   1Boil the potatoes

   Boil the potatoes in unsalted water for 15 minutes until very soft, then drain.

2. 

   2Mash until creamy

   Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk until smooth.

3. 

   3Brown the beef and veggies

   Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the beef, onion and carrot for 6–8 minutes, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains.

4. 

   4Simmer the filling

   Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, water and peas. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick.

5. 

   5Fill and top

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spoon the filling into 4 small ramekins and spread the mashed potato on top.

6. 

   6Bake until golden

   Bake for 15 minutes until the tops are golden and the filling bubbles. Cool for 5–10 minutes before serving, as the filling stays hot.

👶How to serve by age

🔄Allergy & diet swaps

🌾 Gluten-free: Gluten-free as written: no stock, gravy mix or Worcestershire sauce. Check the labels on your tomato paste and ground beef.

Dairy-free

Mash the potatoes with olive oil and unsweetened soy milk instead of butter and milk.

Vegetarian

Use 1 1/2 cups cooked brown or green lentils instead of the beef.

Sweet potato top

Use mashed sweet potato instead of regular potato.

💡Tips

• Cook ground beef to 160°F (71°C), with no pink left.
• Swap half the beef for cooked red lentils to stretch it further.
• Set aside your toddler's portion before seasoning the adults' pies with salt.

🧊Storage & safety

Storage: Fridge: 3 days. Freezer: 3 months (freeze unbaked or baked). Reheat until hot all the way through.

Suggested age: 9 months+. Every child is different — serve textures and sizes that match your toddler's chewing skills.

❓Questions parents ask