Main meals
Meats
British Dishes
Halal Friendly
Kosher Friendly
Gluten-free friendly
Balanced
Low fat
High protein
Cottage Pie

4

15 mins

A rich, savoury beef, mushroom and lentil filling with spinach, topped with a creamy potato and cauliflower mash and baked until golden. It's proper comfort food. Lean beef and lentils give plenty of protein and iron to keep you full, and every portion provides 5 of your 5-a-day.

Ingredients

Mash

  • 400g potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled and cut into chunks
  • ½ large cauliflower (around 400g florets), or 400g frozen cauliflower florets
  • 50ml semi-skimmed milk (or unsweetened soya milk)
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Filling

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 500g 5% fat beef mince
  • 1 onion, chopped (or 150g frozen chopped onion)
  • 1 carrot, finely diced (or frozen diced carrots)
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or ½ tsp garlic granules)
  • 200g mushrooms, sliced (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs (or 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme and rosemary)
  • 1 x 400g tin green lentils, drained and rinsed
  • 1 reduced-salt beef stock cube
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional or use 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari) 
  • 120g spinach (fresh, or frozen and defrosted)

‍

Needed kitchenware

You'll need a saucepan, a large frying pan and an ovenproof dish (around 20 x 30cm). If your frying pan is ovenproof, you can bake the pie in it. A potato masher works for the mash, but a hand blender makes it smoother.

Instructions

1.

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

2.

Put the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook until both are very tender (10–12 minutes). Drain well and leave in the colander to steam dry for 2 minutes.

3.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the mince, onion and carrot, breaking up the mince, until browned (8 minutes). Spoon off any fat.

4.

Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until soft (3–4 minutes). Stir in the tomato purée and herbs and cook for 1 minute.

5.

Dissolve the stock cube in 300ml boiling water. Add it to the pan with the lentils and Worcestershire sauce, then simmer until thick (10 minutes). Stir in the spinach until wilted.

6.

Mash the potatoes and cauliflower with the milk, oil, nutritional yeast and pepper until smooth. Add 1–2 tbsp more milk if it's too stiff.

7.

Spoon the filling into the ovenproof dish, spread the mash on top, and rough it up with a fork.

8.

Bake until golden and bubbling (20–25 minutes). For a crispier top, finish under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes.

9.

Make ahead: Assemble it up to 24 hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.

10.

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12.

Storage information

Cool within 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.

Tip

Lower carb: Use 800g cauliflower and no potato. Extra fibre: Leave the potato skins on for a more rustic mash.

Cost-saving tips

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Batch-cook friendly
Moderate
Family-friendly
Freezer-friendly

Abbi

Head Chef

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