LUXURY SHEPHERD'S PIE

The ultimate comfort food! Shepherd's Pie should be made with minced lamb and have a topping of mashed potato to represent the fleece of a lamb.  Cottage Pie should be made with minced beef and have a topping of overlapping sliced potatoes to represent the tiles of a cottage roof. My version is a hybrid version of the two! I also add lots of vegetables as a way of getting them down my children.

INGREDIENTS
1lb Minced Beef
1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Beef Stock Cube

1 heaped tsp of Bovril or Marmite

Worcestershire Sauce

Mixed Herbs

Beef Gravy Granules

Frozen Peas

For topping 1:

Carrots & Swede - mashed

For topping 2:

Potatoes - mashed

Leeks - chopped and sautéed

Milk

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Grated Cheddar Cheese

METHOD

I make this by eye and taste so I can't offer you exact measurements but I'm sure you will be able to work it out!

In one pan add the peeled and quartered potatoes to salted water, bring to the boil; simmer until tender.

In another pan add the peeled and chopped carrots and swede to salted water, bring to the boil; simmer until tender.

In another pan sauté the chopped leeks in a little butter until tender.

To a large deep sided frying pan add the chopped onion and minced beef. There is enough fat in the meat to cook the onion. Break up the beef as it is cooking.  Turn and cook until it is browned.  Add some water and a beef stock cube. Add the mixed herbs, Bovril, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Thicken with gravy granules and add some frozen peas. Check the flavour, adding more Bovril or Worcestershire sauce to taste. The final mixture should be in a rich, reasonably thick, gravy.

Add the beef mixture to an ovenproof baking dish.

Mash the carrot and swede and spread it in a layer over the beef mixture.

Mash the potatoes, add a little butter and warm milk.  Add the chopped leeks and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread it in a layer over the carrot and swede layer.

Fluff up the mashed potato with a fork, top with grated cheese.

Bake in preheated hot oven for about 20 minutes until bubbling and the top is browned.

Serve with broccoli or another vegetable.  It is also good served with pickled red cabbage.

NB: If you want to make the meat go a little further you can add lentils to pad it out.