Hidden Vegetable Cottage Pie

The Thrifty Family Kitchen

Hidden Vegetable Cottage Pie

A warming family dinner that makes beef go further with lentils, carrots and peas.

This cottage pie keeps the familiar mince-and-mash flavour while quietly adding extra vegetables. Red lentils cook into the gravy, making the filling more generous without needing another packet of mince.

4PORTIONS
20 minPREPARATION
55 minCOOKING
EasyDIFFICULTY

Part of Week 1

This is Saturday’s dinner in the £40-a-week challenge. The recipe uses the potatoes, carrots, peas, lentils and cupboard flavourings already bought for other meals that week.

Ingredients

  • 500g beef mince
  • 100g dried red lentils
  • 1kg potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 1 beef or vegetable stock cube
  • 1 tablespoon tomato purée
  • 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
  • Approximately 400ml water
  • 100–150ml milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, only if needed
  • Black pepper, optional

Method

  1. Scrub or peel the potatoes, cut them into even pieces and place them in a large pan of cold water.
  2. Bring the potatoes to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until completely tender.
  3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and grate the carrots. Rinse the red lentils in a sieve under cold water.
  4. Heat a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mince and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Add a little oil only if the pan is dry.
  5. Carefully spoon away excessive fat if necessary. Add the onion and carrots, then cook for about five minutes.
  6. Stir in the rinsed lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, mixed herbs, crumbled stock cube and 400ml water.
  7. Bring the filling to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lentils are soft. Add a splash of water if it becomes dry.
  8. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for a further three minutes. Taste before adding any extra seasoning because the stock cube may already contain enough salt.
  9. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Drain the soft potatoes thoroughly, allow the steam to escape for a minute, then mash with enough milk to make them smooth.
  10. Spoon the filling into an ovenproof dish. Add the mash in small spoonfuls, spread it gently to the edges and roughen the top with a fork.
  11. Bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling around the edges and lightly golden on top. Allow it to stand for five minutes before serving.

How to keep the layers separate

Let the filling thicken before placing it in the baking dish, then add the mash a spoonful at a time. If the filling is very wet or the mash is pushed on all at once, the two layers are more likely to mix.

Useful swaps

  • Replace some or all of the beef with extra lentils for a cheaper meat-free version.
  • Use frozen mixed vegetables instead of the carrots and peas.
  • Add a little leftover gravy instead of part of the water.
  • Mix mashed carrot or swede into the potato topping if you have some to use.
  • For a dairy-free pie, mash the potatoes with a suitable plant drink or reserved potato water.

Storing and reheating

  • Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within two hours.
  • Keep covered in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
  • Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout.
  • Freeze cooled portions for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating.

Keep following the challenge

See the full Week 1 shopping list and find the rest of the low-cost family recipes.

Back to Week 1All budget recipes
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