Beef and carrot cottage pie

There’s nothing like tucking into a nice big bowl of an old favourite and this cottage pie is just that! The filling is full of flavour thanks to the veggies, herbs and sauce, while the mash of top is light and fluffy with just the right amount of cheese for that perfect golden top. You can serve it with a side of greens, like broccoli or wilted spinach, or just enjoy on its own!

Ingredients

• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 60g butter, softened
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. To Make Meat Filling: Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Crumble in beef and fry for 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to fry until beef is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon, mixed herbs and parsley.

2. In a small bowl, combine beef stock and tomato paste. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon mixture into a 23cm pie dish.

3. To Make Potato Topping: Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.

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