Cottage Pie - for some special guests

MarieAAP

Hi Folks

I have cooked a huge batch of bolognese, and will be making it into a cottage pie for Saturday evening. My guests are the couple who is making my wedding dress, so this meal is really, really important.

Yes I know, normally you cook to impress, but a) these guys love 'traditional' home cooking (thats what we got cooked when we visited them multi times), and b)time arrival is unknow, so need a flexible dish to cook the whole thing, and finally c) I have like 9mths worth of mince portions in the freezer - I cooked too soddying much, when trying to be MSE'g :P

So my Q is this, I like with certain adding ingredients, so I would like to hear what you think?

ARGHHH my poll has disappeared ~

Cheese on top of the mash
carrots in mince
mushrooms in mince
extra onions

make mash on fri evening
make mash hurridly on sat morning?

Sorry about the failure of the poll
M

oneeyedandgreen

I would use a bit of cheese on the top- I love cheesy mash. I also think cottage pie needs some peas and carrots in the . I hate mushrooms so wouldn't add them and I don't think it would need extra onions.

I'm make mash on Saturday because it only takes 30mins and I have no idea how it lasts leftover

jbreckmckye

Depends. Mash potato left overnight changes. Not in a bad way, per se, but it becomes... well, different. Saying it becomes firmer or starchier isn't quite an adequate description. I like it, but it may not brown as easily, nor will it be as cooperative as fresh, milky mash when spread on top.

For the mince, adding swede, carrots or celery and a little Worcester sauce will make a difference. Use reddish cheeses if possible for topping, as they grill far better. I would not use bay leaves for this dish, nor garlic, but would consider being liberal with pepper.

Penelope_Penguin

MarieAAP wrote: »

ARGHHH my poll has disappeared ~

Cheese on top of the mash
carrots in mince
mushrooms in mince
extra onions

make mash on fri evening
make mash hurridly on sat morning?

Sorry about the failure of the poll
M

Don;t worry that your poll has diasappered

You say you've made bolognaise - you really need gravy for CP, not a tomato sauce.

I'd use carrots and mushroooms, and as much onion as seems right (don;t understand the term "extra onions" , sorry). I'd happily make the mash and assemble in advance. I wouldn;t use cheese, just lots of butter

Take a look at this thread on cottage pie; I'll merge this later

Enjoy your meal :j

Penny. x

ubamother

everyone has such personal opinions of such a traditional dish! Personally - I'd go with the mushrooms and some finely chopped carrots - I'd serve with plenty of properly cut (whatever that means to you!!) carrots. I don't have a problem with the bolognaise base unless its very herby and tomatoey - if I was using that I'd probably put less liquid in with the meat before the pots, and serve additional gravy. (I do that anyway as I find the gravy in with the meat tends to get absorbed by the bottom bit of the mash) I like mushrooms, but if people don't like them, they tend to really not like them! i'd make the mash on friday, and before it goes in the oven I'd pop some butter on top.

Counting_Pennies_2

For me I would do all your suggestions, and make the gravy as well as everyone suggested. I have just added gravy to the bolognase before and it just makes a nice deep gravy flavour.

I would just serve with a large bowl of peas.

Alternatively, how about doing a different dish to use your mince, you could make or if unsure how buy some cheese sauce and fresh lasagne sheets and make a fantastic lasagne, so easy to make. Again different ways to layer I do a layer of the mince, then sheets in one layer no overlapping, and cheese sauce, then repeat again and put grated cheese on top.

Cook on 180 until the top has crisped up and is bubbling, probably 40 - 50 mins. Make up the day before, and cook as you would for when they arrive, keeps warming successfully in the oven for an hour.

Serve with garlic bread and peas. Yum

I make my cheese sauce by making double quantity of an all in one sauce, recipe below and add a good handful of grated cheese at the end
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/allinonewhitesauce_66114.shtml

MarieAAP

Yeah, folks to like it with peas - bumm ahumm, they don't like me. And as I am cooking it :P

I shall be having extra vegs on the side, brussels, broc and carrots (if they are not in the mince).

Like the idea of extra gravy, as mine just seems to bubble over onto the bottom of the oven :P

So thanks for the suggestions folks
M