🍽🥔 Cottage Pie Mash - Goes a bit strange in the freezer! Any tips please?

[TheresOnlyOneJackieWeaver]

I love cottage pie and often make a big batch to separate and freeze. The mince mixture itself freezes and defrosts fine. But I always find that the mash on top goes a funny beige type colour and never seems as nice once defrosted and reheated.

I’m not sure if I’m boiling the potatoes for too long and maybe they are ending up too watery? Is that causing the problem?!
(I like to add grated cheddar to the mash BTW).

Any tips on how to make it fare better in the freezing and defrosting process would be much appreciated!

Thank you 😊

P.s Sorry, I know it’s breakfast time, but I’m already thinking about this evenings dinner 😋

Do you add milk to the mash before freezing which is causing it to go watery? Pondering with you and following with interest though as my mash doesn't freeze very well either.

I’ve never been able to get my head around the fact that you can buy quite yummy frozen mash, but any topping I put on a shepherds pie that’s home made does the same thing as yours!

I get round it by defrosting frozen mash, but would love to know how you get round the problem.

Thanks for your reply. I’m glad to know it’s not only me who has this trouble with the mash not freezing well!
I tend to add some skimmed milk (not loads), butter and then grated cheese.
Whenever I look at the cottage pies in the ready meal sections the mash always looks so perfect!

@ByeByeMissAmericanPie - Thank you for your reply. I think there must be some secrets we don’t know about!
Do you make your own mash and freeze it separately? I was wondering if that might be worth a try.

I never put milk or butter through my mash. Only ever Olive oil. Nothing else. Freezes perfectly.
No idea if there’s any science behind it or just luck!

I never add milk to cottage or shepherds pie mash, just butter and lots of seasoning.

@TheresOnlyOneJackieWeaver - like you, it’s normally on the top of a fish/cottage/shepherds pie. Now I just freeze the lower half of meat/fish, then defrost bottom half.

Defrost frozen mash out of supermarket packet.

Add the two defrosts together and bake.

Olive oil could be an option.
Or is it the type of potato?

@maldivemoment

I never put milk or butter through my mash. Only ever Olive oil. Nothing else. Freezes perfectly. No idea if there’s any science behind it or just luck!

Thank you for this, brilliant idea which I will definitely try.

@AlwaysLatte - Thank you, I did wonder about using just butter and ditching the milk. The milk might well be the problem.

Thank you @ByeByeMissAmericanPie. I tend to use King Edwards.
I sometimes buy cheddar mash from Tesco and wonder how they manage to make it so perfect!

Potatoes; only ever those red rooster ones. Is it Albert Bartlett or something?
Or Maris piper.

Also I always use Maris Pipers for mash - there is more water in King Edwards (they are great for roast potatoes), so that might be more the problem than the milk?