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'Half and Half' Cottage Pie with Root Veg Mash Recipe

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Serves4
Preparation Time55 mins
Cooking Time35 mins
Total Time1 hours 25 mins

If you’re after a comforting dinner that’s also really healthy this week, give this healthy dinner recipe a go. Cottage Pie is such a classic that it instantly takes you back to your childhood, but swapping half the mince for lentils in this dish makes it that bit healthier.

Lentils are a great source of protein that are known to lower cholesterol, aid digestion and increase energy. So it’s a great ingredient to add to this delicious dinner.

HOW TO MAKE 'HALF AND HALF' COTTAGE PIE WITH ROOT VEG MASH

Ingredients

  • 1tbsp oil
  • 320g steak mince
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 200g tomato passata
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 1 1/2tbsp tomato puree
  • 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2tsp chilli powder
  • 175g puy lentils
  • 1-1.2kg mixed root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, swede and butternut squash, but only use 1 potato)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saute pan, brown the mince then set aside. Peel and finely chop the onion, carrot and celery, add the the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Return the mince to the pan, add the passata, beef stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and chilli powder, mix well. Bring to the boil then leave to simmer for 20 minutes before adding the lentils, rinsed in cold water. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring the root vegetables to the boil in a pan of cold, salted water until tender. Drain and allow to steam-dry slightly before mashing.
  3. Mash the veg until very smooth, season well and set aside. Heat the oven to 180C, gas 4. Remove the pie filling to an ovenproof dish and cover evenly with the mash. Drizzle over a little olive oil, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cook for 30 minutes.