Carrot mash, hash browns: New twists on traditional cottage pie

Here are some creative variations of the traditional cottage pie where carrots or sweet potato mash, and even hash browns, take over from normal potato mash toppings.

Take the classic mince and potato combo and give it a brand new spin with these delicious recipe ideas.

Taste.com.au has discovered some new recipes where mince and potatoes are not even the base ingredients for this old favourite.

Why not try carrot or sweet potato mash instead, or use chicken or sausages as your meat ingredient?

Here are some of the most creative recipes.

French onion cottage pie

French onion soup mix makes everything taste better – adding a depth of flavour that you can usually only get from a lot of preparation and slow cooking. Topped with cheesy mashed potato, this easy beef mince dinner recipe ticks all the boxes.

Carrot-topped cottage pie

Topping a cottage pie with carrot and sweet potato instead of classic spuds adds earthiness and sweetness, which pairs beautifully with the savoury mince filling.

Carrot mash is the star of this dish.

Curried sausage cottage pie

When two favourites come together – curried sausages and cottage pie, it’s sure to be a winner at the dinner table.

Spiced cottage pies with root vegetable mash

With earthy root vegies, luscious fruits and crisp greens coming into season, what’s not to love about winter’s cool-weather cooking?

Creamy chicken primavera cottage pie

This is what you get when chicken primavera meets cottage pie. The hearty dinner is topped with fluffy mash potato and cheddar cheese, creating the perfect combination of all things creamy, meaty and delicious.

Creamy chicken cottage pie – yes please!

Sweet potato is a good substitute for the usual mash.

Sweet potato and maple pecan spiced cottage pie

This twist on classic shepherd’s pie combines much-loved flavours to create the ultimate family dinner – it will be loved for years to come.

Hash brown French onion cottage pie

We love a hash brown and are always keen to incorporate it in our cooking (remember hash brown lasagne?). This beef mince cottage pie is super saucy but instead of mashed potato, we’ve topped it with hash browns and lots of golden, bubbly cheese.

Replace mashed potatoes with some hash browns.

Cottage pie patties

A tasty lunch which is budget-friendly, easy to prepare and packed with veg and fibre.

Slow-cooked beef pie with sour cream mash

Go slow with this comforting beef pie that can be cooked three ways.

Bolognese and double mash cottage pie

If you love bolognese, you’ll love the way this pie comes together. The creamy mash makes it all worthwhile.

Bolognese and mashed potatoes make up this pie.

Italian cottage pie with cauliflower cheese mash

The ultimate mash-up of Italian beef and cauliflower cheese is pure perfection!

Pom pom cottage pie

This stunning take on traditional cottage pie has crispy, cheesy potato pommes atop a mouth-watering smoky mince and bacon pie. Our food director, Michelle, ensures there won’t be any leftovers.

Bubble and squeak pies

The kids will love these tasty bubble and squeak pies which are filled with healthy vegetables. Keep some extra in the freezer for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.

Mexican cottage pie

Introducing our new favourite comfort dinner: a base of juicy beef mince and veg flavoured with taco seasoning, topped with creamy mash potato and a tumble of crunchy corn chips.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Carrot mash, hash browns: New twists on traditional cottage pie