I really disliked cottage pie as a child. I think it was the way the potato went crispy in the oven. It’s a great recipe to add hidden veggies to though and little one loves mince dishes, so I’m giving it another go. The recipe is pretty versatile and each time I make it I add some different veg in. So have a raid through your fridge! I used beef mince as I prefer the taste however you could use a range of different meats or even quorn to make it vegetarian.
Little one isn’t a fan of mashed potato either so I made her some skin-on, oven chips to go with the pie. She really enjoyed it, which is handy as I made enough of the mince filling to freeze a few portions for her lunch.
Ingredients
500g minced beef (or meat/ quorn of your choice)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
300ml gravy of your choice I used Free & Easy vegetable gravy mix (you can get it from Holland & Barretts)
1 tsp mixed herbs
1/2 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g frozen mix sweetcorn and peas
5/6 cherry tomatoes
900g potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp dairy free spread, I used Pure Sunflower spread
2 tbsp dairy free milk, I used Oatly
Method
1. Brown the mince in a pan, drain and set aside. In the pan, over a medium heat, cook the onion, garlic and carrot, (I also added half a chopped leek) until it starts to soften.
2. Add the mince to the veg and stir in the tomato purée, cooking for a few minutes.
3. Pour in the gravy and a tsp of mixed herbs, chickpeas, frozen sweetcorn and peas and the cherry tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Add seasoning if using.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 mins until reduced and the sauce is thicker. If it gets too thick then add a splash more water.
5. Whilst the mince it cooking, boil the chopped potatoes to make the mashed potato. Once the potatoes are softened, drain them well and return to the pan. Add the Pure sunflower spread and Oatly milk and and mash the potatoes until smooth and lump free.
6. Transfer the mince sauce to an ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato.
7. Bake in a pre heated oven at 200c for 25-30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the potato is golden.
Important bits
Dairy free, egg free, nut free, gluten free
Freezable
Serves 4
Total make time 1 hour 30 minutes
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