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.
Each serving provides 570 kcal, 28g protein, 64.5g carbohydrates (of which 19g sugars), 20g fat (of which 9g saturates), 10g fibre and 2.5g salt.
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
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.
