Camp Cottage Pie

Close up of a cottage pie, sprinkled with a lot of cheese, in a Dutch oven.

Cottage pie is a wonderful one-pot meal idea for any camping trip. It also makes a perfect meal for those cooler months. Cooked in a single Dutch oven it is also a simple meal to prepare.

Although very similar, a cottage pie should not be confused with a shepherd’s pie. The latter is made from cubed lamb, while a cottage pie is made from ground beef. Both share a tasty gravy with a mashed potato topping.

Although this recipe uses fresh carrots and peas you can also use frozen, canned, dehydrated, or freeze-dried depending on what style of outdoor cooking you are using. They can also be swapped out for your favorite vegetables.

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Looking down into a Dutch oven with a cooked cottage pie, surrounded by side dishes.
This Cottage Pie cooked in a Dutch oven is great for camping.
A serving of camp cottage pie sits on a white plate with a side of salad.
You can eat the cottage pie as is, or serve it with a light green salad.
A cast iron Dutch oven holds a finished cottage pie with plenty of shredded cheese on top.
Finished cottage pie is in the Dutch oven ready to be served.
Close up of a cottage pie, sprinkled with a lot of cheese, in a Dutch oven.
Shredded cheese on the top of this cottage pie is the final touch before cooking in the Dutch oven.

Camp Cottage Pie Recipe

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Close up of a cottage pie, sprinkled with a lot of cheese, in a Dutch oven.
This is a wonderful one-pot meal idea for any camping trip and a Cottage Pie makes a perfect meal for those cooler months. Cooked in a single Dutch oven it is also a simple meal to prepare.
Preparation 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Ready in 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
CourseDinner
InfluenceEuropean
DifficultySeasoned
MethodBake
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Ingredients

Stew

  • 2 pounds ground beef (beef mince)
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)

Potato Topping

  • 3 potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk or as needed
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Italian herbs to taste

Equipment

  • 10 inch Dutch oven

Directions

Beef Stew

  • Heat the Dutch oven to a medium-hot temperature. Fry the ground beef and onions until the beef is dark brown and the onions are soft and starting to caramelize.
  • Add the garlic and stir through. Slowly add the beef stock, stirring to make sure anything stuck to the Dutch oven is removed. Add the carrots and peas, then cook until softened.
  • Combine in a cup the water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix into the boiling stew and stir until returned to the boil and thickened. Take off the heat.

Potato Topping

  • Peel the potatoes then boil and mash. Stir in the butter and milk.
    Tip: The potato topping can also be made using leftover mashed potatoes or instant potato mix when camping.
  • Spoon the mashed potatoes gently over the stew, then sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese and Italian herbs.
    Tip: To make this a one-pot meal cook the mashed potatoes first then put them aside while making the beef component. Add back to the beef stew to finish.
  • Place the lid on and bake the cottage pie for 15 minutes at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Nutritional Information

Calories: 680kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 40gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 611mgPotassium: 1445mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5806IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 241mgIron: 5mg

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Portrait Photo of Saffron Hodgson cooking on a Camp Stove with a campfire in the background

About Saffron Hodgson

Outdoor cooking has been Saffron’s passion since she was young, often choosing to go camping and cook hearty meals over fire rather than stay inside, watch TV, and eat take-out. Today she is the driving force of Bush Cooking bringing the skills of cooking outdoors to thousands of people.

Learn more about Saffron Hodgson
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  1. 5 stars
    Camp Cottage Pie…. COMFORT FOOD for sure!! I made this recipe for our Dutch Oven Group this past weekend (in Texas), and we all loved it!! It was a huge hit. I used a 12 inch Dutch Oven and made 3 lbs of mashed potatoes and mixed those with 1 package of instant potatoes for a smoother spreading consistency. Keep the awesome recipes coming. I’ve already been looking through you recipes for our next month’s Dutch oven gathering.