Pams Cottage Pie Recipes

TASTY COTTAGE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Halve the onions on the chopping board using the sharp knife. Peel off the skins, then thinly slice the onions. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add the onions (take care the oil doesn't spit), then fry them until golden, stirring occasionally.
• Add the mince, breaking up the block of meat with the wooden spoon until it looks like crumbs. Pour in a mug of water, crumble in the stock cubes, then measure in the HP sauce. Cover the pan and simmer on a low heat for 10 mins, stirring every now and then.
• Put a large pan of salted water on the hob to boil and cover with the lid. Peel the skin off the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, then cut into quarters on the chopping board. Trim the ends from the carrots, peel, then thickly slice.
• When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and carrots (an adult should do it as the water will splash). Cover and simmer for 20 mins until the potatoes are soft when you stick a knife in. Drain, return to the pan with the butter and milk, then mash until smooth with an electric whisk or potato masher.
• Stir the beans into the meat mixture, simmer for a few mins, then spoon the mixture into 4 mini pie dishes. Spoon the mash on top and spread over the filling, right to the edges of the dish so none of the layer below shows.
• Put pie dishes on a baking tray. Grate cheese, sprinkle on top, then cut tomatoes into wedges and arrange on top. Carefully put the pies in the oven using oven gloves. Bake for 35 mins or until tops are golden. Let pies cool a little before eating as they will be very hot. Serve with broccoli or peas.

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry 1¼ kg beef mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns.
• Put the other 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan, add 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped celery sticks and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins.
• Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan.
• Pour over a large glass of red wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a few thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
• Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the 1.8kg potatoes which you've peeled and chopped, in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.
• Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese, then season with freshly grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
• Spoon the meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.
• If you want to use a slow cooker, brown your mince in batches then tip into your slow cooker and stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs with some seasoning. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours. Make the mash following the previous steps, and then oven cook in the same way to finish.

PAM'S COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add beef and basil and continue to cook until beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire; cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, whisk egg into warmed mashed potatoes, then spread evenly over meat mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

MOUSSAKA COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon and cloves; cook about 1 minute. Add meat, stirring to break it up, and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and raisins; simmer 10 minutes.
• Arrange eggplant slices on a lipped cookie sheet. Brush both sides with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil on upper oven rack, turning once with kitchen tongs, until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
• Reduce heat to 400 degrees. Lay eggplant in a single layer over meat mixture. Whisk egg into mashed potatoes; spread over eggplant. Bake on lower rack until sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

PAM'S COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add beef and basil and continue to cook until beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire; cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, whisk egg into warmed mashed potatoes, then spread evenly over meat mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

PAM'S COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add beef and basil and continue to cook until beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire; cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, whisk egg into warmed mashed potatoes, then spread evenly over meat mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

PAM'S COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add beef and basil and continue to cook until beef loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire; cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, whisk egg into warmed mashed potatoes, then spread evenly over meat mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

TASTY COTTAGE PIE WITH PARSNIP MASH

Steps:

• Dry fry the mince (without adding any oil) in a non-stick pan until evenly brown and crumbly. Add the onions and carrots and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring well.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée, pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring until well mixed. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the carrots and onions are tender and the stock has reduced. Taste and season. Blend the cornflour with a little water and stir into the mixture, cooking for a minute or until slightly thickened.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/ fan oven 180C. While the meat is simmering, cook the potatoes and parsnips in boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with seasoning and enough milk to make a creamy consistency.
• Tip the meat mixture into a 1.4 litre/ 21⁄2 pint ovenproof dish, spoon the mash on top and rough up the surface with a fork. Bake for 30 minutes or until the potato topping is lightly golden. Serve with steamed broccoli or Savoy cabbage.