Big Shepherds Pie with Trimmings!

Here's a really filling recipe for the autumn/winter that doesn't take that long to make -

Big Shepherd's Pie! Serves 6

Ingredients

Prices September 2013. If you have a local market compare prices there as often cheaper

2 x 500gr packs Minced Beef (Aldi =£2 per pack =£4 or Tesco do 750g for £4)
2 large onions (Aldi 4 onion pack = 69p Tesco 3 onion pack = £1)
Standard Pack of Carrots (Price varies - Tesco £1)
Large 2.2kg/ 5lb bag of Potatoes - whatever is cheapest King Edwards, Maris Pipers etc (Tesco Value Whites = £2.25)
Large Tin of Garden peas (Value ranges around 50p-60p)
Extra Veg of choice to suit Budget: Cauliflower or Green Beans are great. (Price Varies)

Optional

If you have the following it flavours up the meal- if not then no problem - do not rush to buy! You can still make the recipe without.

Black Pepper
Worcester Sauce
Vegetable Oil
Tomato Puree
Salt
Milk
Butter
Bisto Granules or Oxo Cubes

Method:

If you don't have the Vegetable Oil then no worries. Just empty the mince into a frying pan or saucepan on a low heat and dry fry. Meat has plenty of juice to fry on its own. Keep turning the mince until it starts to turn brown. Cut up the 2 onions into small bits and add to the pan with the mince.If you have salt, black pepper, Worcester Sauce and tomato puree, then add sprinkles/squirt of each to taste. If not then no problem!  Keep turning regularly while it cooks through. I personally multi task at this stage and decide to boil my carrots in a saucepan. This saves cooking time eventually in the oven I find. So peel and cut into slices your carrots, put them into a saucepan of water on a high heat for 10 minutes then lower the heat when they are coming to the boil. Leave for 15 mins and check for softness.

Once the minced beef and onions are cooked remove from the cooker/hob and empty into some kind of oven proof dish like a casserole dish or similar. Many charity shops often stock old casserole dishes as people like my mum in the 60's used to buy them for fun and be given them as wedding presents! Drain your carrots either by putting them into a colander or by tipping carefully into the sink with the saucepan lid on so draining the water from the saucepan. Mix the carrots into the minced beef mixture already in the casserole dish.

Now for the potatoes. You can use the saucepan just used for the carrots if you like. Fill with water and put on hob/cooker and bring to boil. While you wait peel the potatoes. If you have a potato peeler then all the better, but if not, cleverly using a small sharp knife will do the trick just as well. Cut the potatoes into pieces and add to the saucepan of water. Cook for about 20 minutes on a medium heat.

When cooked drain the potatoes and leave in saucepan. They then need to be mashed. If you have a few knobs of butter or a splash of milk or both then add them to the pan, but you can mash without if you do not have those ingredients. If you posess a potato masher then attack right away. If not, then a couple of forks will do the job but will take quite a while! if you have an oven pre-heat it to 180 deg or Gas Mark 4-5. Once mashed, carefully turn the potato out on top of the casserole dish and smooth it all out until even. I then get creative with the back of a fork and make tram patterns by dragging the fork along the top of the potato in different directions.

Now as all this pie is already cooked through, if you don't have access to an oven then the pie is eatable now. However, it is far nicer to  heat it through in the oven and brown the potato top. Stick it in the oven for 30 mins in the middle..

You then need to prepare whatever veg you have to bulk out the shepherds pie. Again boil your cauliflower or green beans etc in a saucepan of boiling water 10-15 mins until soft. If you like, empty the tin of peas into a bowl and microwave for 3.5 mins on full power if you have the use of a microwave. Remove carefully and drain.

You then serve the pie with the veg. My family like gravy to be poured over the top, so I use Bisto granules, but equally oxo cubes can be used to make a beef stock.

This is a filling nourishing meal for a large family. Often when I know some of my boys are really famished I bulk it out further by adding a jacket potato as a side too! You really must do what suits your budget and what suits your kitchen tools. Remember a lot of things can be bypassed if you are really feeling the pinch or do not have the necessary kitchen tools.

Smaller Families and even University Students could make the above amount and put remainder in the fridge to be used tomorrow and even the day after! Needs must! This has the making of a few days meals from these quantities.