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Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash recipe photograph

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if necessary.
Add the onion and carrots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato purée, hot beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Transfer the mixture to a 3.5-litre slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the carrots are tender and the gravy has thickened. Do not add frozen mince to the slow cooker; it must be browned first.
About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the frozen peas, replace the lid and continue cooking on low.
While the filling finishes, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to steam-dry for 2 minutes.
Mash the potatoes with the butter and warmed milk, then stir through half of the grated Cheddar. Taste the filling and remove the bay leaf.
For a finished pie, transfer the hot filling to a suitable ovenproof dish, spoon the mash over the top and spread it out with a fork. Sprinkle over the remaining Cheddar and grill until golden and bubbling. Alternatively, serve the filling in bowls with the cheesy mash alongside.
Serve piping hot. If using a ceramic slow cooker insert under the grill, check the manufacturer's instructions first; otherwise transfer the filling to a separate ovenproof dish.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5-litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large saucepan
Potato masher
Ovenproof baking dish
Grill

Swaps and substitutions

Beef mince → Lean lamb mince
This makes a shepherd's-pie-style filling; cook it in the same way.
Frozen peas → Frozen sweetcorn or a frozen mixed vegetable blend
Use the same quantity and add it during the final 30 minutes.
Mature Cheddar → Red Leicester or grated Lancashire cheese
Use the same quantity for the mash topping.
Worcestershire sauce → 1 tablespoon brown sauce
Check the label if avoiding fish or anchovy ingredients.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate within two hours and store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the filling and mash separately where possible. Freeze portions for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Defrost: Defrost in a covered container in the fridge overnight. Do not defrost at room temperature. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.
Reheating: Defrost thoroughly in the fridge if frozen. Reheat the filling and mash in the microwave or in a covered ovenproof dish until piping hot throughout, stirring the filling once if reheating in the microwave. Only reheat once.
Leftover ideas: Use leftover filling in jacket potatoes, on toast, or spooned into pastry cases for quick individual beef pies.

Allergen information

Contains milk and gluten. Worcestershire sauce and beef stock may contain fish, so check labels if needed. Plain flour can be replaced with a gluten-free flour blend, and use gluten-free stock and sauces for a gluten-free version.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

My private notes

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Recipe info

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 420 min
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
500 g beef mince
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato purée
500 ml hot beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
150 g frozen peas
800 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
40 g butter
100 ml milk, warmed
75 g mature Cheddar, grated
½ teaspoon fine salt, plus extra for the potatoes
¼ teaspoon black pepper

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Beef mince, Cottage pie, Family dinner, Comfort food, Freezer friendly

Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash

Name: Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 420 min
Total time: 450 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 500 g beef mince; 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 2 tablespoons tomato purée; 500 ml hot beef stock; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 150 g frozen peas; 800 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks; 40 g butter; 100 ml milk, warmed; 75 g mature Cheddar, grated; ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus extra for the potatoes; ¼ teaspoon black pepper

A comforting slow cooker cottage pie made with savoury beef mince, carrots, peas and onion in a rich gravy. Finish it with buttery cheddar mash for an easy family dinner that also freezes well.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hr 30 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5-litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large saucepan
Potato masher
Ovenproof baking dish
Grill

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
500 g beef mince
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato purée
500 ml hot beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
150 g frozen peas
800 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
40 g butter
100 ml milk, warmed
75 g mature Cheddar, grated
½ teaspoon fine salt, plus extra for the potatoes
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Substitutions

Beef mince → Lean lamb mince (This makes a shepherd's-pie-style filling; cook it in the same way.)
Frozen peas → Frozen sweetcorn or a frozen mixed vegetable blend (Use the same quantity and add it during the final 30 minutes.)
Mature Cheddar → Red Leicester or grated Lancashire cheese (Use the same quantity for the mash topping.)
Worcestershire sauce → 1 tablespoon brown sauce (Check the label if avoiding fish or anchovy ingredients.)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if necessary.
Add the onion and carrots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato purée, hot beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Transfer the mixture to a 3.5-litre slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the carrots are tender and the gravy has thickened. Do not add frozen mince to the slow cooker; it must be browned first.
About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the frozen peas, replace the lid and continue cooking on low.
While the filling finishes, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to steam-dry for 2 minutes.
Mash the potatoes with the butter and warmed milk, then stir through half of the grated Cheddar. Taste the filling and remove the bay leaf.
For a finished pie, transfer the hot filling to a suitable ovenproof dish, spoon the mash over the top and spread it out with a fork. Sprinkle over the remaining Cheddar and grill until golden and bubbling. Alternatively, serve the filling in bowls with the cheesy mash alongside.
Serve piping hot. If using a ceramic slow cooker insert under the grill, check the manufacturer's instructions first; otherwise transfer the filling to a separate ovenproof dish.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate within two hours and store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the filling and mash separately where possible. Freeze portions for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Defrost: Defrost in a covered container in the fridge overnight. Do not defrost at room temperature. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.

Defrost thoroughly in the fridge if frozen. Reheat the filling and mash in the microwave or in a covered ovenproof dish until piping hot throughout, stirring the filling once if reheating in the microwave. Only reheat once.

Use leftover filling in jacket potatoes, on toast, or spooned into pastry cases for quick individual beef pies.

Allergen information

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

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