The best cottage pie
This cottage pie from Eat Well for Less is the ultimate comfort food. Baked beans are a low cost way to make the sauce extra rich, and come with a bonus portion of protein and fibre.Ingreadient:
- 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
Direction
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan set over a high heat. Add the beef and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned all over.
- Tip the beef into a bowl, then add the onion to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3–4 minutes until just softening. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the dried thyme and tomato purée and stir well. Return the browned beef to the pan and mix together.
- Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and carrots, stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15–18 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Mash until smooth, then stir in the milk, butter and pepper and beat until smooth.
- Add the baked beans to the mince and stir well. Tip into a medium ovenproof dish. And spoon the mashed potato over the top so that it covers the meat. (Don’t flatten it too much).
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
