I’m not going to lie here … the final result isn’t much to look at, it is however incredibly tasty and a crowd pleaser to boot. Not exactly something you’d do for a dinner party but for a night like tonight when it’s wet and miserable it definitely hits the spot.
The big negative of this? Chopping the veg rather small takes time.
The big plus? You’ve got 6 veg in this and the kids love it 🙂
What you need ( What I used )
- 1 large onion ( I used 2 slightly smaller )
- Mince meat ( I used a 350g pack )
- 2 or 3 carrots
- 1 Parsnip
- 5 or 6 mushrooms
- Frozen Peas
- Stock (I used 1 jelly style stock cube as I’ve nothing home made)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of thyme (I used dried)
For the Mash you’ll want surprise surprise … potatoes 😀 depending on your preference you’ll want a nice knob of butter, milk, and some nutmeg.
Finely chop your onion(s) and throw into a pan with a splash of olive oil. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.
In the mean time get started chopping your carrots into small cubes. (Also your parsnips)
This bit is rather time consuming (at least for me)
Throw your mince in with the onion and brown well.
Once you’ve browned your mince throw in your carrots and parnsips. Also throw in a handful of frozen peas.
Throw in a stock cube and 500mls of water. You’ll also want to put in a bay leaf and a teaspoon of thyme (or other herbs if you so wish)
Shred some mushrooms … ( yes I said shred … take a metal grater … and use it on the mushrooms. ) this gives a rather nice texture and once cooked you hardly notice they are in it. ( This is important when dealing with 2 and nearly 5 year olds 😀 ) Throw it into the pot and cover with a lid for 15 – 20 minutes.
In the mean time peel your spuds … boil and make a mash.
You may notice your savoury mince is quite runny? Well we’re going to add in a teaspoon of gravy and mix well. Leave the lid off and let it thicken up hey presto .. you’re done.
The final result doesn’t look pretty … BUT it’s very tasty.
Let me know if you end up making it ( or add to it ) and how it turns out 🙂 Also if you’ve any tips on making a pretty plate of mash and mince it couldn’t hurt 😀
But wait there’s more!!!
You could easily transform this into a cottage pie. Just place the savoury mince into a large baking tray and top with the mash. Run a fork over it to fluff up the mash a bit and also make a nice pattern. Throw on a sprinkling of cheese and place in the oven until the mash starts to brown nicely.