cottage pie

finallydebtfree!!

Raw swede should be fine

I always put swede, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, leeks and onions in my shephards pie. So long as you chop it into small cubes it will be fine to add raw.

I brown the mince, add the onions, fry a little longer then add the rest of the veg. After a while longer I add some stock and leave it to simmer for a while whilst the potatoes cook.

After topping with the mash I put it into the oven for 30-40 mins to brown the top and all the veg is always cooked through.

My mum now prefers my shephards pie to her own recipe that she has been cooking for years!! Hope this helps

HotLips_2

I tend to grate veggies into Shep Pie etc as I can't stand the texture of cooked veg. This all cooks well, adds to the flavour and bulks it out. Yum!!!:T

HH62

Thanks everyone! I'm making it later today and now I'm really looking forward to it.

OrkneyStar

I'd either cut it really small or par boil first (still pretty small bits) to be sure.
I love the sound of that and may well try it sometime. I love carrots, onion and peas in my mince/shep pie (although DH not too keen on the peas!).
x

jenster

id either grate or whizz it in the food proccesor then add it

same with carrot/ onions/ parsnips/ sweet pots
that way bulks out with out any one noticing _ esp the kids

Stephen_Leak

angelavdavis wrote: »

An alternative is to grate it so it cooks through and disappears in the gravy.

Grated carrot was the traditional way that farmers' and/or shepherds' wifes used to "pad out" the meat, without it being detectable.

But I reckon that finely sliced and chopped swede should cook in the oven OK, though.

Tabatha_Kitten

I always thought Sheperds Pie was just mince & onion topped with mash and Cottage pie had the veg in it ??? Maybe it differs between regions !!
I make cottage pie cos I can bulk it out. One for tea & one for the freezer.
I use whatever veg I have left over, but have always found the most important thing is to make sure its chopped into similar size chunks so that it all cooks at the same rate.

Gryfon

Shepherds pie is made with lamb and cottage pie is made with beef

loobyloo2

I love shepherds pie, but so often the meat in it it is quite bland.
So I am hoping that some of you will help to find the best recipe to make a fuller flavoured dish.
I don't pad it out usually with anything more than onions and carrots, and am not keen on the idea of adding lentils or oats, just need to find a well used and tasty recipe.
Oh, i would prefer beef recipes for this, not lamb. Looking forward to this on Friday evening when the kids and their friends will help to devour it, hope some of you can help.

lappish22

I always make the Gordon Ramsay one. Best one I've tasted so far! Its easy too! Here is the link if anyone would like to try it.....
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/gordon-ramsay/shepherds-pie-recipe_p_1.html

I always used lean mince beef, not lamb though!