Here I’ll show you the most delicious way to make a classic Cowboy Pie!

For those wondering what on earth a cowboy pie is, it’s essentially a sausage and baked bean filling underneath mashed potato. It’s the most comforting of comfort foods and I’m so excited to share my take! As for the waffles on top? We’ll get to that in a sec. Follow me…

close up shot of cowboy pie showing filling in baking dish

Sausage Cowboy Pie

Sausages are one of the key ingredients in a cowboy pie, so I recommend investing in some good pork quality sausages. I also recommend getting plain sausages (i.e. not packed with different flavour combos). My favourites are Cumberland Sausages!

Once you’ve fried the sausages, remove them from the pan and leave the fat in the pan. Don’t waste the flavour!

Process shots: add sausages to pan (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2).

2 step by step photos showing how to pan fry sausages

Cowboy Pie Filling

The filling is a really hearty mixture of bacon, kidney beans and sausage, alongside pepper, onion and garlic for a boost of flavour. The sauce is tomato based, but it’s also got a deep, rich & smoky flavour with help from beef stock, BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Did I mention ‘hearty’?!

Simmering the filling

Simmering the filling for around 25 minutes is important not only to reduce and thicken the liquids but also to marry and deepen the flavours. Don’t skip this step!

Process shots: fry bacon (photo 1), fry onion and pepper (photo 2), fry garlic (photo 3), fry tomato puree (photo 4), add chopped tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, kidney beans and sausages (photo 5), stir then simmer (photo 6).

6 step by step photos showing how to make cowboy pie filling

Waffle Cowboy Pie

I once saw a creator friend of mine, Amy Sheppard, top a cottage pie with waffles and it blew my mind. How had I never thought of that before?! And trust me, I’m a sucker for Mashed Potato, but the waffle topping is just too good (and convenient!).

What can I use instead of waffles?

The obvious substitute is mashed potato. If you’re in the US I’m not sure if you’ll have frozen potato waffles, but I imagine waffle fries would work just as well! Or tater tots, or even hash browns.

Cheesy cowboy pie

This recipe invites itself so well to the addition of cheese. Originally when I tested this I grated the cheese straight on top of the frozen waffles and baked everything. However, the cheese prevented the waffles from crisping up and the topping ended up a little chewy. Instead, you’ll want to bake without the cheese, then add it on at the end and grill until it melts.

4 step by step photos showing how to make waffle cowboy pie

overhead shot of waffle cowboy pie with one waffle missing showing filling

Serving a Cowboy Pie

This is a pretty hearty pie, especially with the beans and waffles, so I don’t tend to serve this with any sides.

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cowboy pie shall we?!

close up shot of cowboy pie with waffle on small white plate

How to make a Waffle Cowboy Pie (Full Recipe & Video)

overhead shot of waffle cowboy pie with one waffle missing showing filling
5 from 3 votes

Waffle Cowboy Pie

Here I'll show you the most delicious way to make a classic Cowboy Pie!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 - 6
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Equipment

  • Large Pan, Tongs & Wooden Spoon (for filling)
  • Large Baking Dish (mine is 20x30cm / 8x12")
  • Cheese Grater
  • Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients 

  • 8 Pork Sausages (see notes)
  • 100g / 3.5oz Streaky Bacon, diced
  • 1 small Red Pepper, finely diced
  • 1 medium Red Onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
  • 240ml / 1 cup Beef Stock
  • 1x 400g/14oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1x 400g/14oz can of Kidney Beans, drained
  • 4 tbsp BBQ Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 8 Frozen Potato Waffles (see notes)
  • 100g / 1 cup Cheddar, grated
  • Olive Oil, as needed
  • Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions 

  • Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over and cooked through the centre. Remove and place them to one side, leaving any excess fat behind. Slice them into 5 or 6 pieces just before needed.
  • Add the bacon and fry until crisp with the fat rendered down, then add in the onion & pepper and continue frying until they soften and start to pick up colour. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or so, then stir in the tomato puree and fry for another minute.
  • Add the stock, chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, the chopped sausages and a pinch of salt & pepper (to taste). Give it a good stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn heat to low and cook for 25 minutes until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
  • Pour everything into a large baking dish and level off with a wooden spoon. Top with waffles (you may need to slice a couple to slot them in perfectly). Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the waffles begin to crisp and deepen in colour.
  • Remove and sprinkle over the cheese, then place back under the grill and cook until the cheese melts. Serve up and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Sausages - I recommend using plain pork sausages (i.e. not loaded with different flavour combos). For reference, 8 pork sausages is approx 500g/1lb.
b) Simmering - This is important not only to thicken the sauce, but simmering is also important to marry all the flavours together.
c) Waffles - These are the perfect sub for mashed potato! I got this trick from Amy Sheppard on Instragram (her recipes are awesome!). If you're in the US and can't find potato waffles, I imagine frozen waffles fries would work just as well!
d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 5 assuming 1/2 tbsp olive oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.94g | Protein: 27.12g | Fat: 45.8g | Saturated Fat: 14.555g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.517g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15.761g | Trans Fat: 0.236g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1283mg | Potassium: 1033mg | Fiber: 6.4g | Sugar: 11.19g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin C: 52.1mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 3.7mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’


For another waffle recipe check out my Waffle Loaded Cheeseburger Fries!

For more similar recipes check out these beauties:


 

Chris Collins, food blogger at Don't Go Bacon My Heart in white jumper eating a slice of garlic flatbread
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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. Lesley Riddle says:

    5 stars
    This sausage filling is just delicious!

    1. Chris Collins says:

      Thanks for the review, Lesley! 🙂 C.

  2. Leandra says:

    5 stars
    Can you make this and before you were to pop it in the oven, Can you cool it down and freeze it ?

    1. Chris Collins says:

      Yes I imagine that will work just fine 🙂 C.

  3. Dawn says:

    5 stars
    Whole family loved this. Swapped kidney beans for black beans because that’s what we had on hand. Will make again for sure!!

    1. Chris Collins says:

      Thanks so much for the review, Dawn 🙂 C.