Pork, beef & lamb· DF

Cottage Pie Mince

Name: Cottage Pie Mince
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 500g beef mince (10% fat); 2 (250g) onions, finely chopped; 200g carrots, small dice; 100g (2 sticks) celery, finely diced; 1 tin (240g drained) green lentils, rinsed; 100g frozen peas; 30g tomato purée; 3 cloves (15g) garlic; 15ml Worcestershire sauce; 15g plain flour; 2g dried thyme; 2 leaves bay; 10ml rapeseed oil; 2 cubes beef stock cube; 500ml water, to make up the stock

Beef mince in a rich, savoury gravy with carrot, celery, thyme and a few lentils. Top it with mash for a quick cottage pie.

makes 20 blocks, about 37p each

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batchjoy.com/recipes/cottage-pie-mince/

Illustration of a bowl of Cottage Pie Mince

Time: 1 hr10 min prep · 50 min cook
Makes: 20 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 37p
Calories per blockCalories: 70 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

500gbeef mince (10% fat)
2 (250g)onions, finely chopped
200gcarrots, small dice
100g (2 sticks)celery, finely diced
1 tin (240g drained)green lentils, rinsed
100gfrozen peas
30gtomato purée
3 cloves (15g)garlic
15mlWorcestershire sauce
15gplain flour
2gdried thyme
2 leavesbay
10mlrapeseed oil
2 cubesbeef stock cube
500mlwater, to make up the stock

Allergens: Celery, Gluten, Fish. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Under mash as a cottage pie · Over a jacket potato with cheese · With buttered greens

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat and brown the mince for 8–10 minutes, breaking it up, until well browned.
Step 2: Lower the heat to medium, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and purée for 1 minute, then the flour for 1 minute.
Step 3: Gradually stir in the stock, then add the Worcestershire, thyme and bay. Simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
Step 4: Add the lentils and peas and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the gravy is thick and glossy. Remove the bay leaves and season to taste.
Step 5: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: add ½ tsp cayenne or a spoon of English mustard to the gravy.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	70	7.1g	6.5g	1.9g	1.9g	0.51g
Per 3 blocks	210	21.3g	19.5g	5.7g	5.7g	1.53g

Cook’s notes

For a pie, defrost 6 to 8 blocks in a dish, top with mash and bake at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes until piping hot and golden.
The lentils make the mince go further; use more mince instead if you prefer.
A splash of red wine with the stock deepens the gravy.

Serve it

Under mash as a cottage pie · Over a jacket potato with cheese · With buttered greens.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 210 kcal and 21.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Cottage Pie Mince questions

Can I use lamb mince for a shepherd's pie?

Lamb mince works the same way and turns this into a shepherd's pie filling. Lamb is often fattier, so spoon off any excess fat after browning.

Can I use dried green lentils instead of tinned?

Rinse about 100g dried green lentils and add them with the stock rather than at the end, as they need 30 to 40 minutes to soften. Add a splash more water if the gravy gets too thick.

Why cook the flour before adding the stock?

A minute in the pan takes away the raw taste of the flour, and it then thickens the stock into a smooth gravy as it simmers. Pour the stock in gradually, stirring, so it doesn't go lumpy.