Lancashire hotpot is a British dish combining sliced potatoes, onions, and lamb or beef, then cooking them slowly in a covered pot.
The dish comes from Lancashire in northwest England and is traditionally associated with economical family cooking. A typical preparation places meat and onions beneath overlapping potato slices, which brown on top while the ingredients cook gently in stock.
Lamb is especially traditional, and kidneys may appear in older or regional recipes. The name “hotpot” refers to the cooking vessel and method rather than a single universal recipe. Ingredients and proportions have varied between households.
Lancashire hotpot is distinct from cottage pie. Cottage pie uses minced beef covered with mashed potato, whereas hotpot generally uses sliced potatoes and pieces of meat cooked together in a deep dish.