Cottage pie

Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a type of savory pie. It is made with meat minced into small pieces, with mashed potato on top. It comes from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The dish is now popular worldwide.

The name "cottage pie" was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain, people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. Originally, a pie made with any kind of meat and sliced potato was called a "cottage pie" due to it's resemblance to the tiled roofs. 

In modern British English, the dish is usually called "cottage pie" if it is made with beef. If it is made with lamb it is usually called "shepherd's pie" (because a shepherd looks after sheep). 

According to the Oxford Companion to Food, once upon a time, Scotland made its shepherd’s pies with pastry instead of mashed potatoes.

References
 John Ayato and Jenna (1990) The Glutton's Glossary: A Dictionary of Food and Drink Terms, Routledge, London.

Other websites

 Cottage pie recipe
 Shepherd's pie recipe 

Category:Savoury pies