Cottage pie with colcannon mash

Everyone will love this fusion of two family favourites – rich mince topped with tasty, buttery mash laced with shredded cabbage. For an alternative twist, try adding steamed, shredded kale to your mash topping instead, along with a spoonful of mustard.

Ingredients

*Freezable (freeze before baking, then defrost thoroughly and cook as per recipe)

Serves: 4

Ready in: 1hr 30 mins

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• ½ swede, diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Peas, to serve

For the colcannon mash topping

• 900g white potatoes, cut into chunks
• 50g butter
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• ¼ head Savoy cabbage, shredded
• 4 tbsp milk

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish or pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and swede and cook for 3-4 mins, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then add the mince and brown in the pan. Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, tinned tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, and simmer for 30-40 mins until thickened.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 and make the colcannon mash. Cook the potatoes in salted water for 10-15 mins or until tender. Add a little of the butter to a frying pan and add the spring onion. Fry for 2 mins, then add the cabbage and a splash of water, and cook for a further 4-5 mins or until tender.
3.  Drain the potatoes, then add the remaining butter and the milk, and mash until smooth. Stir in the spring onion and cabbage mixture, and season to taste.
4. Spoon the mince and veg into a large baking dish. Top with the colcannon mash, roughing up the surface with a fork, then bake in the oven for 25-30 mins or until golden and bubbling. Serve with peas, if you like.