There is nothing better than something rich and hearty to celebrate spring, which is why cottage pie is the best dinner for a bank holiday.
Mary Berry’s cottage pie which has “a bit of a kick” is cheesy and packed with slowly roasted beef, making it the ultimate comfort food meal.
Cottage pie is incredibly simple to make as all you need to do is cook the meat and vegetables in a pan before allowing it to slowly roast in the oven for around one hour.
This dish can be assembled one day ahead of time, making it fantastic as a family meal or to impress guests.
Mary wrote: “Made with minced beef and a topping of mashed potatoes, cottage pie is a family comfort classic.”
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Instructions
To make the cottage pie filling: Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan or Gas Mark 3).
Finely chop up the onions and celery sticks, then heat up the beef stock.
Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and add the onions and celery. Cook for a few minutes, and then add the mince with the vegetables until the meat is golden.
Sprinkle in the flour to the mixture and cook for around 30 seconds. Then gradually and slowly pour in the port and hot beef stock. Continue to stir until you have a smooth sauce.
Add the bay leaves, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce into the mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid to transfer into the oven.
Cook in the oven for one hour to one hour and 30 minutes until the beef is very tender. Once the mixture is ready, remove the bay leaves and spoon into an ovenproof dish. Set aside for now to cool.
To make the cottage pie topping:
Place the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water, and then bring to a boil.
Cook the potatoes for around 15 minutes until softened and tender. Drain and add butter and milk, then mash until smooth.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the cottage pie filling in the ovenproof dish until fully covered, then sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan or Gas Mark 6) and bake the pie for around 30 to 35 minutes until brown and bubbling.
Take out the oven and your delicious cottage pie is ready to serve hot. Mary Berry recommends serving it with your favourite green vegetables.
