My mum’s Cottage Pie is my absolute favourite so the day she passed down the recipe was a happy one indeed! It’s a real classic and the perfect winter warmer in the evening with some hearty veg or a great alternative to a Sunday dinner. This recipe is super easy and so tasty you’ll never look at a ready-made pie again! I like to make mine in big batches and make Joe a mini pie to heat up and enjoy during the week when i’m out and about – left to his own devices he’d live of baked beans and toast!
Ingredients
Two packs of lean mince meat – around 500g in total (make healthier with vegetarian mince or 5% fat mince instead)
1 Large Onion
A Handful of Potatoes for Mashing (make it healthier with sweet potatoes instead!)
1 Clove of Garlic
3 Medium Carrots
Beef Gravy Granules
Beef Stock (make it healthier with a reduced salt version!)
A Handful of Frozen Garden Peas
How To
1. Peel and chop your carrots, garlic, onions and potatoes
2. Boil your potatoes ready for the mash and while they’re bubbling, lightly fry the carrot, garlic and onion in a pan until softened.
3. Add in your mince meat and brown in the pan with the carrots and onions, sprinkle over your beef stock cube and keep on a low heat until the meat is cooked. Throw in your frozen peas for a few minutes
4. Make up a delicious thick beef gravy (about 1 pint) and pour into your pan
5. Stir through and transfer your cottage pie mix into a dish leaving room for the mashed potato on top
6. Mash your potatoes with a little butter and milk until smooth (you can also use a potato ricer if you have one) and smooth on top of your cottage pie mixture. For a healthy cottage pie, mash with a splash of skimmed milk and omit the butter.
7. For a bit of extra taste (and naughtiness!) i sprinkle my cottage pie with grated mature cheddar before popping in the oven to brown at 190C (Gas mark 5) for around 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden
Serve with some seasonal veg and a nice glass of red wine for the perfect comforting Autumn meal. You can cook your mini pie and refrigerate for up to a week for a quick and easy homemade meal – just warm it back up in the microwave and tuck in!
This traditional Cottage Pie went down a storm and served four of us happily. Making this in batches is a great way to save time and maximise your ingredients – Just pick up a few mini pie dishes (make sure they’re nice and deep) and you’re good to go.
It’s warm, it’s hearty and it tastes just like home.
Tweet me @xameliax if you give me Cottage Pie Recipe a go! #cottagepie
xax