Super filling beef stew with sweet potato topping

If you’re looking for a dish that’s super filling, tastes great and is stocked full of veggie goodness then why not give this one a go? The hearty dish is incredibly simple to make with just a handful of everyday ingredients and a few easy steps to follow.

It’s great for cooking in bulk and either serving up fresh to family and friends or freezing and enjoying throughout the week. If you’re not a fan of sweet potato you can always replace the topping with normal potato or even pumpkin mash for something a bit different. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced (about 130g)
• 1-2 sticks celery, finely diced (about 130g)
• 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
• 400-500g braising steak
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 low-salt beef stock cube
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 25g pack parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped separately
• 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• knob of butter
• handful grated cheddar

Method

1. Heat oil in heavy-based saucepan. Add onions and cook for 2 mins. Add carrot and celery. Cook until softened. Add some water if mixture sticks. Add steak. Cook until browned. Stir in garlic and cinnamon. Cook for a further 1-2 mins until aromatic.
2. Add stock cube to 500ml boiling water until dissolved. Stir into meat. Add tomato purée and parsley stalks. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 1 hour. Remove lid and simmer for another hour or until meat is very tender. Stir in chopped parsley leaves. Transfer stew into medium-sized ceramic dish.
3. Preheat oven to 200C. Meanwhile, steam or boil sweet potatoes until tender. Drain potatoes well. Mash with butter. Spoon on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and cook on top shelf for around 20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve.