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Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie

This recipe is courtesy of BBC GoodFood.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp rapeseed oil
  • 600g/1lb 5oz beef mince
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1½ tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400ml/14fl oz beef stock, from a cube
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 400g/14oz carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 100ml/3½fl oz semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 x 415g tin baked beans
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Method

Before doing any of the steps this time, make sure to preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, preferably large, set over high heat. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the beef is browned all over, that’s when it is done.

  2. Place the beef into a bowl, then add the onion to the pan and reduce the heat, ensuring that it is on medium heat instead of high heat. Cook for 4 minutes until just softening. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

  3. Add the dried thyme and tomato purée and stir well. Return the browned beef to the pan and mix everything together.

  4. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and carrots, and stir together. Make sure you cover the food before cooking for 20 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan, make sure this is a large saucepan, cover with cold water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15–18 minutes. Make sure it is tender before taking it away.

  6. Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes until they are smooth, then stir in the milk, butter, and pepper. Make sure it is all smooth as well with the mash.

  7. Add the baked beans to the mince and stir well. Tip into an ovenproof dish, make sure this is medium or large, and spoon the mashed potato over the top so that it covers the meat.

  8. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Banner and Image Credit: BBC

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