BIG ITALIAN COTTAGE PIE

This recipe has arisen because originally on the weekly plan it was meant to be lasagna, however having had pasta the night before, and not being great on too much pasta, I made the snap decision to shake it up a little bit - and I'm so glad I did because my youngest, who is a very selective eater, sat and polished off a full portion and verbalised how much she was enjoying her dinner (not something she does very often) 

In order to stuff in some extra vitamins and goodness, and with the added effect of bulking it out too, I added a bowl of grated veg which cooks down, deepening flavour and adding to that 5 a day goal. 

This dish is an absolute winner for several reasons. 1) It's super economical (6 portions for around £5 less than £1 a portion), 2) It's a crowd-pleaser 3) It's a well balanced (it has hidden veg) and 4) It's super low effort.  

I served it with dark chopped kale because I had half a bunch left over from Sunday lunch and because my children love the stuff, especially when it's been buttered and sprinkled with a little salt. 

LEVEL: EASY

COST: £

MEAT

TIME: 15-20min PREP and 1.5hours cooking

INGREDIENTS: (MAKES 6 PORTIONS)

400g Lean Beef minced meat

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

1 chicken stock cube / gel

1 tin of tomatoes

2 tsp of tomato puree

3 finely chopped sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 carrot

1 courgette

6-7 medium mashing potatoes

Butter

2 tbsp of milk

2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese

Optionals: I added a 1/4 bottle of old left over red wine being it was in the kitchen and if you've got a little spare budget, red wine is always a nice edition to this dish. I also added a spoonful of pesto from the jar in the fridge. (It keeps for two weeks and is really good to always have one in the fridge as a spoonful here and there really jazzes up dishes)

METHOD: 

• Grate your carrot and courgette into a bowl 
• finely chop your garlic and onion and fry off in the bottom of a heavy casserole pot
• add your minced meat and fry until it has taken some colour.
• Add the bowl of grated vegetables and finely chopped rosemary and cook down
• Add the tin of tomatoes and about half a pint of chicken stock. 
• Leave to simmer on the stove top for about 30-40 minutes until it has cooked right down and the oil is starting to split. It should have taken on a deep red colour and look rich and thick by this point. 
• Set aside and leave to cool and firm up slightly 
• Peel and cut your potatoes and place in a boiling pan until soft. Remove, Strain, return to pan and blast any remaining water off. Add butter, salt, pepper and a tiny splash of milk then mash until fluffy. 
• Spoon over the meat mix and fork until covered. Sprinkle with the cheese and then return to oven to cook for about 20 minutes 

NOTES: If like me, you tend to prep several hours or a day ahead, then it will need about 40-45 minutes to be piping hot. It's a great dish to make on a Sunday whilst cooking your roast, and then set it aside. If there's just the two of you, it can be boxed up and frozen and that's three lots of dinner all ready to go when it's needed.