Naturally, we'd eat anything that's topped with a pillow of mash potato and golden cheese, so in celebration of our money-saving cuts, we're sharing one of our favourite ways of cooking our beef mince, a Classic Cottage Pie! Not only is it also packed with veg, but it warms you from the inside out, providing you with the perfect dinner to come home to after a cold Melbourne winters day.
Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy based saucepan and once hot, add in the onion, garlic, celery and carrot and sauté on medium heat for 5 mins.
Turn the heat up and add in the beef mince. Let it sit for a minute to brown and then begin breaking up the mince as it cooks. Cook for around 5 mins or until browned.
Add tomato paste and flour and stir on medium-low until it darkens, usually a couple of minutes.
Increase heat to medium and add in the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes until it reduces.
Add in the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for 25 mins or until the sauce has thickened. The sauce won't continue to thicken with the mash on top, so cook down until it looks like the right consistency.
Meanwhile, make the mash. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and fill with cold salted water until the potatoes are covered. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and cook for around 15 mins or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain the potatoes, before mashing them until smooth.
Add in butter and milk and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, pour the beef mixture into an oven-proof dish, top with the mashed potato and fluff it with a fork, creating more surface area to get super crispy. Follow with grated cheese.
Place the dish onto a baking tray to catch any overflow and bake in preheated oven for 30-40 mins or until golden.
