Crispy Parmesan Cottage Pie
A staple in many households, it's hard to imagine a better winter meal than a rich cottage pie with a creamy yet crispy, cheesy potato top. It's best served with any dark leafy greens.
Method
Based on 6 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Prepare the vegetables for the cottage pie filling. Place a casserole or solid-based saucepan on a medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the diced onion, carrot, swede, garlic, bay leaf and a large pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, with a lid on if you have one, string every 2 minutes allowing the vegetables to sweat rather than fry and take on any colour.
Step 2
Once the vegetables are tender, turn up the heat and add the beef mince. Fry for 8 minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon and allowing it to cook and colour all over.
Step 3
Now add the flour and tomato puree and coat everything in the pan well. Cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season generously with black pepper, bring to a simmer, and leave to cook for a further 30 minutes.
Step 4
Peel and cut the potatoes in half and place them into a pan of cold water along with a generous amount of salt. Bring the water to a boil, turn it down to a simmer, and allow it to cook for 15-18 minutes until they are completely tender.
Step 5
Once cooked, drain the potatoes and allow them to steam dry in a colander while the cottage pie filling simmers.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
Step 7
While the cottage pie filling simmers, heat the milk and the butter in the pan your cooked the potatoes in. Once the butter has melted, add in the potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy. If you have a potato ricer, this will really help to achieve a lump-free mash. Make sure to season well with salt and pepper.
Step 8
Check pie filling for seasoning before transferring to an over-proof baking dish, remembering to discard the bay leaf. Top with the creamy mash (you can do this using two spoons or if you are feeling fancy, use an ice-cream scoop like we have - school dinner style!). Once you are happy with the top (we like lots of texture to allow for maximum crispy bits), scatter with grated parmesan cheese and transfer to the oven for a further 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Step 9
Pan-steam the kale in a large frying pan with a little butter, salt, pepper and a splash of water for 4-5 minutes. Serve with the piping hot cottage pie, which should be allowed to stand for 10 minutes before tucking in.
- Ingredients
- Based on 6 servings
-
3 Garlic Cloves 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
300g Swede, diced, or parsnip or celeriac 1x Sainsbury's British Swede -
200g Kale, peas or broccoli 1x Sainsbury's Kale 200g -
1 heaped tbsp Flour 1x Sainsbury's Plain Flour 500g -
50g Butter 1x Lurpak Unsalted Butter 200g -
1.5kg Potatoes 1x Sainsbury's White Potatoes 2kg -
3 heaped tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese 1x Sainsbury's Grana Padano Cheese 200g -
150ml Milk 1x Sainsbury's British Whole Milk 568ml (1 pint) -
500ml Beef Stock 1x Sainsbury's Beef Stock Pots x4 112g -
500g Beef Mince 1x Sainsbury's British or Irish 5% Fat Beef Mince 500g -
3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1x Sainsbury's Worcester Sauce 150ml -
2 tbsp Tomato Puree 1x Sainsbury's Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate 200g -
2 Carrots, diced 2x Sainsbury’s Carrots Loose -
2 White Onions, diced 2x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
1 Bay Leaf 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Bay Leaves -
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 1x Sainsbury's Vegetable Oil 1L -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g