A deliciously easy vegetarian version of Cottage Pie. This Quorn Cottage Pie is easy to make and tastes amazing. A great weeknight family dinner.
I get asked a lot if I use Quorn products. While I don't use a lot of substitute "meats" I always have a couple of things in my freezer for emergencies. For example, veggie sausages are a must! If I need a quick dinner my veggie sausage casserole is easy to pull together. And I always have a bag of Quorn mince.
Quorn mince is so handy when you want a quick dinner, it doesn't need to cook for long and it takes on flavours very well. I sometimes use it to make Quorn Chilli, Quorn Bolognese and Lasgane or add it to my lentil bolognese but it really works very well in a cottage pie. I've included in this recipe a few of my tips for taking your Quorn Cottage Pie to the next level! And if you have more time try my Lentil Cottage Pie.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quorn Mince - It's easy to use, doesn't need to be defrosted and it takes on flavours very well.
- The sauce - Rich and flavourful, everything you expect from a cottage pie.
- Fluffy potato topping - Perfect mash tops this filling with some extra cheese on top.
- Quick and Easy - This vegetarian cottage pie is so easy to make and takes less time than a regular cottage pie. Making this a great weeknight dinner!
What You'll Need
This recipe is a simple combination of Quorn mince, Carrots, Peas, Potatoes, and some store cupboard ingredients.
How To Make Quorn Cottage Pie
This is just a quick visual guide. Please see the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient list.
- Cook the onion, carrots and celery until soft.
- Add garlic, chopped rosemary and cook for a minute then add a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of tomato puree (tomato paste). Stir well.
- Slowly pour in vegetable stock. Add the Quorn mince and stir well.
- Stir in a tablespoon of soy sauce, add a bay leaf and some fresh thyme and simmer. Cook the potatoes, then mash them.
- Once the sauce is thick transfer it to a casserole dish. Stir in the frozen peas.
- Top the filling with the mashed potatoes, spread some grated cheese on top then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Ingredient Notes And Substitutions
- Quorn Mince - You can now find Quorn mince in all supermarkets in the frozen aisle. You could also use soya mince or tempeh mince.
- Potatoes - For the fluffiest mash I use Maris Piper potatoes, King Edward, Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes work very well too. I make my mash by adding salted butter and semi-skimmed milk.
- Vegetables -You will need 1 medium brown onion, celery and carrots. I add frozen peas to the filling but you can add fresh peas if you wish.
- Herbs - Fresh rosemary and thyme are best for this. I also use a dried bay leaf, again you can use fresh if you have it. I also add garlic but you can omit that if you want.
- Stock - I made my stock using one vegetable stock cube and half a pint of boiling water. You can use homemade stock if you have it or vegetable bouillon.
- Tomato Puree - Also known as tomato paste in the US. Note that this cannot be substituted for tinned tomatoes.
- Red Wine - I include red wine to add more flavour to this, but this is optional, and I would omit it if I was serving this to young children.
Tips For Making The Best Quorn Cottage Pie
- Adding fresh herbs will elevate your cottage pie! I love adding different herbs to this pie and while thyme is the traditional herb for cottage pie, some chopped rosemary will give it some lovely extra flavour.
- Soy Sauce! I always add a generous tablespoon of dark soy sauce to my veggie cottage pie. This works as a substitution for Worcestershire sauce and will bring an extra depth of flavour. You can use tamari if you need to, or a low sodium soy sauce. I sometimes add red currant jelly too!
- Simmer - If you have time leave the filling to simmer for a bit, this helps the flavours to meld together and will give you a richer flavoured Cottage Pie.
- Don't over mash your mash! Your mash should be smooth and fluffy but not gloopy or too wet as it will just sink into the filling. You want a definite layer of mash on top. I always add some grated mature cheddar on top of this Cottage Pie but that's totally up to you.
FAQs About This Recipe
Can you freeze Quorn cottage pie? Yes, you can freeze this Quorn cottage pie. Leave the cooked pie to cool completely then wrap the dish in freezer-friendly cling film and place in the freezer. Use within one month. Defrost the pie overnight for 24 hours and cook in the oven until it is piping hot.
Do you have to defrost Quorn mince? According to the Quorn website, you do not need to defrost it. You can use chilled Quorn mince though, and if you do please follow the recipe as you would for using frozen mince.
Can you reheat Quorn cottage pie? Yes, you can. Any leftovers should be cooled then stored in the fridge. They should be used within 48 hours. Reheat the pie in the oven or microwave and make sure it is piping hot before you eat it. Do not reheat more than once!
More Comfort Food Inspiration
If you love comfort food then you'll love these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, perfect with veggie sausages and gravy. My Vegetarian Stew is also one of our favourite comfort food dinners, perfect for when the weather gets cooler.
If you're looking for a great side for your Sunday lunch then these Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips are delicious and only take 30 minutes!
Finally, if you prefer not to use Quorn then my Meat Free Cottage Pie is so tasty.
Have you made this Quorn Cottage Pie Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think.
Quorn Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium /230g/ (1 ½ cups chopped) brown onion finely chopped
- 3 medium /330g/ 2 cups chopped) carrots peeled then finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic grated (optional)
- 1 x 300g pack of Quorn mince
- ½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 50 ml /¼ cup of red wine optional
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree (paste)
- 1 heaped tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 stock cube + 300ml/½ a pint of boiling water make the stock by adding the hot water to a jug along with the stock cube.
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 70 g ½ a cup of frozen peas
- 1 kg / 2 lbs of potatoes peeled then cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 30 g / ¼ cup of mature cheddar cheese grated (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To Make The Cottage Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F fan or 200C/392F
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large sautè pan.Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until soft. Stir occasionally. Your pan should be on medium heat.
- Using a Microplane or box grater grate 2 cloves of garlic into the pan. Add the chopped rosemary and stir well.
- Now add the wine if using. Turn up the heat a little and pour in the wine. It should sizzle the minute it hits the pan. Stir it until the wine evaporates.
- Add the tomato puree and flour to the pan and stir until it is combined.Once that is combined slowly pour in the stock, then add the soy sauce.Tip the Quorn mince to the pan and stir it until it is incorporated into the sauce.Season with ½ a teaspoon of fine sea salt and ½ a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Drop the bay leaf and the thyme into the sauce then simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
To Make The Mash
- While the sauce is simmering boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water.When they are cooked drain them, return them to the heat to remove any water.Turn off the heat then mash the potatoes.Once the potatoes are smooth, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of milk to the mash.Using a wooden spoon quickly stir the potatoes until you have a creamy, but firm mash.Season with ½ a teaspoon of fine sea salt and ½ a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
To Assemble The Cottage Pie
- The Quorn and vegetable filling should be reduced and be nice and thick. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs.Pour the Quorn mince and vegetable mixture into a casserole dish.Add the frozen peas and stir until they are evenly distributed.Spoon the mash over the filling and use a fork to spread it out evenly over the filling. You can also use the fork to make a design on the mash is you want.Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the potato topping then place the dish on a baking tray and put in in the oven.Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, turning the pie around halfway through cooking so the top is evenly browned.Once the filling is bubbling at the edges of the dish and the potato topping is golden brown remove it from the oven.Top with a garnish of chopped parsley.Let it cool slightly then serve with green vegetables.
Notes
- Quorn - There is no need to defrost the Quorn just add it straight to the pan.
- Red Wine - This is optional and I would omit this if serving to young children.
- Potatoes - Maris Piper, King Edward, Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes work very well too.
- Butter - I use salted butter for the mash you can also use unsalted if you want.
- Casserole Dish - My casserole dish measures 25cm x 17cm (10" x 7").
- Freezing- You can freeze this dish once it has been cooked and then left to cool. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before reheating it in the oven until piping hot.
- Leftovers - any leftovers should be kept in the fridge once cool. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave until piping hot. Do not reheat more than once.
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving of 4.
- For US readers - I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand. For best results, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
Eleni Stephanou
Delicious and nutritious. I added lots of mushrooms (my grand daughter loves them) and the whole family loved this dish. Thank you 🙂
Michelle Alston
Hi Eleni, thank you so much! I'm so glad you all loved it x
Michele
Hi there, thank you very much for this delicious recipe. I substituted the vegetable stock and flour for Bisto Best Onion Gravy and it gave the dish a lovely intensive richness.
I looked through recipe 3 or 4 times, but I couldn’t see when to add the soy sauce?
Thanks again - look forward to making more of your recipes in the future
Michelle Alston
Hi Michelle, thanks so much for getting in touch. I've updated the recipe card to include the soy sauce, it was in the post but I must have missed it in the recipe card! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I hope you enjoy the recipes Mx
Gareth
Very tasty! The whole family enjoyed our first quorn meal. I only dropped to 4 stars because the prep time was considerably more than 10 minutes.
Michelle Alston
Hi Gareth, I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. I make this a lot so will double-check the prep time again, thanks for bringing it to my attention. M x
Douglas Benson
Your recipe says 1Kg/ half lb potatoes. Did you mean half Kg/ 1lb? Or 1Kg/2lb?
Thanks,
Doug
Michelle Alston
Hi Doug, the recipe should have said 2 lbs, I have updated it now. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. Michelle 🙂
Nina
Very easy to follow and tasted great. My meat-eater husband loved it.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Nina, I'm so glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
Carl
Hi Michelle,
Hello from Wicklow, I’ve been a veggie for a long time. Turned the big 60 this year and decided to start cooking properly!My Cottage pie from your blog has surprised and delighted my diners (more shocked ,really!). Looking forward to more adventures with your great recipes....
Thank you
Michelle Alston
Hi Carl, thanks so much for your lovely comment! I'm so glad you and your diners loved it. Congrats on turning the big 60, I have a big birthday coming myself later this year 😉 I hope you enjoy the recipes x
Dannii
This is how we make our vegetarian cottage pie too, but we also add lentils. Yours looks amazing.
Jacqueline Debono
I have never tried quorn but I love cottage pie and it's great to know it can be made vegetarian so easily. One of my best friends doesn't eat meat. I'd love to make this when she next comes to visit!
Pris
You really created a nice combination of flavors in this recipe, and I appreciate the use of the holy trinity: onion, celery and carrot. I would certainly add red wine, that's a great idea! Thanks for the recipe.
Liz
I love that you suggested adding some soy sauce! I love the umami flavor that brings to the dish!
Chris Collins
I love using quorn as a meat alternative! This is perfect for meat-free Monday!