Actually the right name for the beef version of Shepherd's Pie is Cottage Pie.
1tbsp olive oil (or just veg. oil will do)
2 small onions, chopped
500g beef minced
1 tbsp plain flour
1 x 440g can tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
1 beef stock cube, crumbled or one squeeze tub of Master's Food beef stock
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1 packet of frozen mixed veg.
About 1.3kg of potatoes, peeled and boiled (to make mashed potatoes)
1. Preheat oven first to 180C
2. Heat oil in a heavy based pan: add onions. Cook over medium high heat until soft. Add mince meat. Cook for about 10mins or till well browned and almost all liquid has evaporated. Use fork to break up any lumps as meat cooks.
3. Blend flour with a little reserved tomato juice until smooth. Add sufficient water juice to make 1 cup. Blend into the flour mixture with crumbled stock cube.
3. Gradually add liquid to mince mixture, stirring constantly over medium high heat.
4. Add Worc. sauce, peas and carrots. Mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 25mins or until meat is tender.
Viv, I think you know how to cook mashed potatoes right? How I cook mine is to mashed it with milk and butter, add salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop the meat filling in a deep ovenproof dish. Top it with the mashed potatoes. Here's my trick in scooping the potatoes, use ice cream scoop and lined the scoop on the meat and then use a fork to even them all.
Before I bake the dish in the oven, I would cut little pieces of butter and put it all over the potatoes and since my kids love cheese, I sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese on top too.
Bake the dish till the butter melts and the top is golden brown.