• Serves: 4

• Prep time: 20 mins

• Cooking time: 30 mins

• Total time: 50 mins

• Skill level: Easy peasy

• Costs: Cheap as chips

That’s goodtoknow

For a crispy topping sprinkle your cottage pie with Cheddar cheese once cooked and pop under the grill until the cheese has melted

Ingredients

• 1tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 med onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 500g minced beef
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 2 level tbsp plain flour
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 450g mashed potato
• Knob of butter

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan or large frying pan, add the onion and carrots and cook over a med heat for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to soften. Add the beef to the pan and cook for about 5-10 mins, stirring to break up the meat, until it browns. Once the meat is crumbly, stir occasionally to prevent it sticking and burning, but don’t keep stirring it, otherwise it just cools the mixture, rather than letting the meat brown. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a few mins.
2. Sprinkle over the flour, then mix it in well and heat for 3-4 mins to cook the flour. The flour will absorb the fat that comes out of the meat, which will then thicken the sauce.
3. Pour in the can of tomatoes, sprinkle in the stock cube and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continually, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 mins, until it thickens slightly and the vegetables are tender. If the sauce seems very thick, just add a little boiling water.
4. Set oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
5. Stir the Worcestershire sauce into mince, then spoon into a dish and level the surface.
6. Beat the potato to soften it and spread over the mince. Score the surface with a fork and put butter on top.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20-30 mins, or until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbling. Serve straight from the oven.