Easy shepherd’s pie

Serves:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 500g lamb mince
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stick celery, diced
• 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3-4 large potatoes
• 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1/2 cup cream

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Cook onion for 3 minutes until soft. Add mince and brown well, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add garlic, carrots and celery and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Pour in tomatoes and stock, add in thyme and bay leaf, and combine well. Cover with a lid and simmer over gentle heat for 1 hour. Season well. Remove thyme and bay leaf and stir through frozen peas.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle. Slice into 5mm thick rounds.

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Tip mince mixture into a medium ovenproof baking tray or lasagne dish. Arrange sliced potatoes overlapping on top. Sprinkle with cheese and pour over cream. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden.

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Serving Suggestions

Note

• You could use beef mince if you prefer but lamb gives the dish an authentic, delicious flavour.
• A more traditional shepherd’s pie has mashed potato on top. Boil potatoes until they are tender, mash well with a little oil or butter, and dollop on top of your mince before adding cream and cheese.
• Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.