My yummy cottage pie (Meat)

Member Name: mummy2twogirls

Product:	Meat
Date:	10/11/08 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So easy to prepare and make

Disadvantages: You might end up eating to much like i did

I have just finished one of my best ever tasting cottage pies i have made- I don't sound to be big headed, but it was yummy, me and cottages pies normally don't mix and one way or another i seem to mess it up, but i have spent most of the afternoon preparing it, and even my daughters gave it the thumbs up which is very rare.

~ My cottage pie surprise~

Ingredients-

Pack of Mince about 500g
1 large onion
vegetable stock cube
Gravy granules
Half a Cup of diced carrots
Half a Cup of pea's
1 Tin of baked beans
Potato's
Grated cheese

Method-

1- Add the mince to water and bring to the boil for about 5 minutes, dice the onion, and add, continue to simmer for about half an hour on a medium heat until mince is cooked,

2- Whilst the mince is cooking peal and chop potato's and put into a pan of water salt if wanted, and cook.

3- Crumble a vegetable stock cube into the mince and onion and stir, continue to simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the carrots and pea's, if you haven't got fresh vegetables you can easily add a cup of frozen mixed vegetables which is just as tasty. Cook for about 15 minutes.

4- Take the pan off the heat and drain the water into a bowl, and keep the mince separate in the pan. Add some gravy granules into the water and mix until the consistency is neither thick nor thin, whisk throughly and add back into the pan with the mince.

5- Simmer on a medium heat, for another 5 minutes and add the tin of baked beans, cook for a further 10 minutes.

6- Take of the heat and put into a heat proof oven dish, big enough for both the mince and potato, leave to set.

7- Mash the potato, and add a little milk and butter, once the mince has set add the potato, and use a fork to even out.

8- Add the grated cheese on the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until the has crisped and serve.

By using the water that you have boiled the mince in, you don't lose the flavour, and by adding baked beans gives it a twist in the taste, and it also helps to thicken the sauce.
I had run out of beef stock cubes, so used a vegetable one instead, which i thought made it taste even more richer.

It cost me altogether about £3.50 to make this pie, and it fed two of us, with half a pie still left and we had pretty big portions, so would easily satisfy a family of 4-6, im waiting for it to cool down so i can cover it and put it in the fridge and have some for dinner tomorrow.

It's so easy to make, and certainly warmed us up on this cold and miserable night. :)

Summary: A cheap and quick family meal