Cottage pie equals comfort food. In fact, whenever I go away (ok, pre-pandemic) for more than three days & I eat out a lot or don’t have access to a kitchen, I start to crave cottage pie. With broccoli on the side. Haha.
Once we were on a trip to a beautiful place & after five days away, I could only think about how I’m going to make & eat cottage pie when I get home!
After that, I decided that a self catering apartment with a stove is a must so that I can make a cottage pie whenever the craving speaks – no matter where I am in the world.
For this recipe, I’ve teamed up with McCain to make an even simpler cottage pie recipe. I use their Butternut & Sweet Potato Mix to make the mash & add some stew mix veggies & a handful of frozen peas for a really healthy load of veg. You will see that the ingredients are all pantry or freezer staples, so you can put this delicious bowl of comfort together with minimum effort.
COTTAGE PIE, serves 4 medium portions
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
500g Lean beef mince
1x Tin of peeled & chopped tomato
1x Onion, chopped
2x Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Teaspoon of Robertson’s dried mixed herbs
Salt & pepper
1x Cup of McCain Stew Mix
1/2x Cup of McCain Frozen Peas
1x Teaspoon of butter
A splash of milk
Heat your olive oil in the pan. Fry the onion until soft. Add minced garlic & fry quickly, taking care that the garlic doesn’t burn. Remove onions & garlic from the pan & set aside. Now add your mince, season with salt, pepper & 1/2 teaspoon of mixed herbs. Fry the mince in batches until browned. Add the chopped, tinned tomato, the fried onion & garlic. Stir through. When the mince is almost done, add the frozen veggies & frozen peas.
Put your oven on grill.
Let the mince simmer for about 5 minutes while you boil the McCain Butternut & Sweet Potato mix in salted water. Drain the butternut & sweet potato. Add the drained mix back to the pot, season with salt, add butter & a splash of milk, then mash the mix until you get a smooth mash.
Spoon your cooked mince into an over-proof dish. Add a thick layer of butternut & sweet potato mash on top. Place under the grill for about 12 minutes. Serve with a side of broccoli or salad if you like. Enjoy!
Cottage pie makes me feel so comforted & loved as if I am sitting at my granny’s kitchen table again as a child. How about you? Are you a fan? Leave a comment & let me know.
Yolandi ♥
Images: Dominique from Hello Love Photography for aZestyLife
This post was done in conjunction with McCain. Thank you for supporting the brands that support aZestyLife.