Cottage Pie

This has to be one of my favorite almost syn free meals ever, it’s incredibly easy, tastes great and is perfect for a family meal as slimmers and non-slimmer will enjoy it just the same.  

The entire pie is only 1 syn for the bisto if you use the cheese as your HEA, if you already drank it as milk in your coffee you'll have to syn it!! 

Ingredients:

500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)

1 large onion finely chopped

200g passata

5 tablespoons syn free tomato puree

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

Worcester sauce

Dried mixed herbs

Fry lite

Gravy made with:  Bisto beef stock pot (free) and 1 tablespoon bisto onion gravy powder (1 syn) with dried herbs

Frozen mixed veg

1 kg potatoes

Splash milk

Grated cheese

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 180 or gas mark 6

Put a pan of water on to boil.  As it heats peel and chop your potatoes and add to the boiling water.  Some people use salted water but I don’t – partly because I’m careful with what salt I use and partly because I think the gravy brings its own flavor to the cottage pie but this is up to you.  Your potatoes will take 15-20 minutes to cook.

Spray a large frying pan with fry lite and fry your onions and garlic.  You’re softening rather than browning them so keep the heat low-ish.  If they slightly caramel that’s ok, just not too much.  When they’re done set to one side.

Without cleaning the frying pan, spray again with fry lite and add your minced beef.  At this stage I add a good tablespoon of mixed herbs and a few dashes (to taste) of Worcester sauce, cook until the meat is almost done and add the onions and garlic to the pan again.  Reduce the heat and add the passata.

Make your gravy with the stock pot, tomato puree, a tablespoon of bisto gravy and about 200ml of water, give it a good stir to make sure everything is dissolved and also add to your meat mix. If you think it needs a few more herbs, chilli flakes or the like add them at this stage and leave on low to simmer.

Put boiling water in a separate pan and add your mixed frozen veggies, it’s up to you how many you add but I tend to go for a big cupful to make me eat more veggies, they’ll only take a few minutes to heat through.

Your potatoes should be ready about now, I check mine by pushing a knife into one of the chunks, if they fall apart they’re done.  I may be slightly guilty of overcooking them but I’d rather that than they have any lumps (nasty).  I use a potato ricer for mine to make sure I have no lumps, so use that or your masher, add a dash of milk and mix thoroughly (you can add a teaspoon of low fat spread also for creaminess if you like).

Your veg should be boiling at this stage, drain it off and add to the meat mixture and stir so it’s pretty evenly distributed.

Now you’re ready to pull it all together.  With a slotted spoon add your meat and veg mix to your dish, don’t add too much of the gravy as it will only soak into the potato and make it mushy.  

Cottage pie with mixed veg

Whatever gravy you have left you can serve with your cottage pie, it’s much better that way.  Next it’s the potato layer.  I’m not that fancy so I just dollop it on and smooth down with a fork, plus that’s the way my Mum always did it so it’s what I do.  

Low syn cottage pie with cheesy mash

You can pipe rosettes if you like, it’s much more professional looking but try to make sure you start at the edges and seal them so your pie filling doesn’t bubble up and onto the top of your pie.  Then it’s time to sprinkle on your grated cheese, I add a few dried mixed herbs too at this stage and in the oven it goes (I put mine on a baking tray in case any rogue cheese melts off, saves the bottom of my cooker!!)

Bake for about 35-45 minutes until golden brown, serving immediately with seasonal vegetables

Cottage pie with seasonal veggies