Delia Smith Cottage Pie with Leeks Recipe

This cottage pie with leeks is made with beef mince, swede, carrots, and a whole cinnamon stick. The topping is mashed potato with steamed leek rounds under crispy mature Cheddar. It serves 6 and takes about 90 minutes from start to finish.

I make this in a heavy cast iron casserole dish so the mince browns properly and the whole thing goes straight into the oven. The leeks crisp up under the cheese and people always ask how I did it.

Cottage Pie with Leeks Ingredients

The Beef Filling:

• 450g lean minced beef
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 225g swede, peeled and cut into small dice
• 225g carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 7cm
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 275ml beef stock, hot
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

The Leek and Potato Topping:

• 900g floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and chunked
• 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1cm rounds
• 50g butter
• 4 tbsp milk
• 50g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

What You’ll Need

A heavy cast iron casserole dish makes this recipe easier because you brown the mince on the hob and then bake in the same pan. A ProCook cast iron casserole is a good mid-range option, or a Le Creuset if you already have one.

For the mash, an OXO Good Grips potato masher gives a smooth finish without much effort. You will also need a 1.7 litre ovenproof baking dish for assembly. A glass or ceramic dish works well because you can see when the edges are bubbling.

How to Make Cottage Pie with Leeks

1. Brown the beef: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan / Gas Mark 5). Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish, something like a ProCook or Le Creuset cast iron works well here. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes, then raise the heat, add the mince, and fry until browned.
2. Add the vegetables: Stir in the diced carrots and swede. Cook for another 5 minutes. Drop in the whole cinnamon stick and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Thicken the sauce: Sprinkle in the flour and stir to soak up the juices. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually pour in the hot beef stock and tomato purée. Stir until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
4. Simmer the filling: Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer gently on the lowest heat for 25–30 minutes until the root vegetables are tender.
5. Boil the potatoes: While the meat simmers, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until soft.
6. Steam the leeks: Place the sliced leeks in a colander or steamer over the potatoes for the last 5–7 minutes. They should be just tender, not soft.
7. Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and remove the leeks first. Mash with the butter and milk using a sturdy potato masher until smooth. Season to taste.
8. Assemble the pie: Remove the cinnamon stick from the meat. Spoon the filling into a 1.7 litre baking dish. Spread the mashed potato evenly over the top.
9. Top with leeks and bake: Scatter the steamed leek rounds over the mash. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the leeks. Bake on a high shelf for 25–30 minutes until the leeks are crisp and the cheese is golden.

What Makes This Cottage Pie with Leeks Different?

• Leeks go on top, not inside: Most recipes mix leeks into the mash or hide them as a layer. Here, the leek rounds sit on top of the potato so they crisp up under the cheese. This gives you two textures in every bite.
• Steam the leeks first: Steaming for 5–7 minutes before baking means the leeks are already tender. The oven time just crisps the edges and melts the cheese over them. Raw leeks on top would burn before cooking through.
• Cinnamon gives warmth, not sweetness: A whole cinnamon stick simmers with the mince for 30 minutes, adding a warm background note. Remove it before assembling. For more on how this works, see the cottage pie with cinnamon version.
• Dice the root veg small: Cut the swede and carrots to about 1cm so they soften fully during the simmer. Bigger pieces stay hard in the centre.
• Use floury potatoes: Maris Piper or King Edward mash smoothly and brown well in the oven. Waxy varieties make a gluey topping that does not crisp up.
• Try adding fresh herbs: A teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves stirred into the mince adds another layer of flavour. Delia’s original recipe includes thyme and parsley, which work well here too.

How Should You Add Leeks to a Cottage Pie?

There are three main ways to use leeks in a cottage pie. Each gives a different result.

On top of the mash (this recipe): Steamed leek rounds are scattered over the potato before adding cheese. The leeks crisp up in the oven and create a crunchy layer on top. This is the method Delia uses in her original Shepherd’s Pie with Cheese-Crusted Leeks.

Mixed into the mash: Fry sliced leeks until soft, then fold them into the mashed potato before spreading over the meat. The leeks disappear into the topping and add a mild onion flavour throughout.

As a hidden layer: Sauté the leeks in butter and spread them between the meat filling and the potato topping. The leeks stay soft and sweet, acting like a second sauce layer. This is a good option if you want a smoother finish on top.

How Do You Get a Crispy Cottage Pie Topping?

The combination of leeks and cheese is the main reason this pie gets such a good crust. The leek rounds dry out slightly in the oven while the Cheddar melts and browns around them.

Fork the mash in rough lines before adding the leeks. The ridges catch the heat and go golden. Bake on a high shelf so the top gets direct heat.

If the cheese is browning too fast, drop the shelf down for the last 10 minutes.

Use mature Cheddar rather than mild. It browns better and has a stronger flavour, so you do not need as much.

What Should You Serve on the Side?

This is a complete meal on its own, but a side of garden peas adds sweetness that works well against the cheese. For a fresh contrast, try a red cabbage salad or some pickled beetroot to cut through the rich topping.

If you enjoy leeks in pies, the fish pie with leeks uses a similar steamed leek topping with a white sauce base instead of mince. A glass of full-bodied Shiraz is a good match if you are having wine.

Does This Reheat Well?

It reheats nicely. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. The leeks lose a little crunch but still taste good.

Cover with foil and reheat at 180°C for about 30 minutes until piping hot all the way through.

You can freeze the assembled pie before or after baking. If baking from frozen, keep it covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove the foil to brown the leeks and cheese. For the best results, freeze it before adding the leeks and scatter fresh ones on top when you bake it.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 550 kcal
• Fat: 25g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Protein: 30g
• Dietary Fibre: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

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