Minced Beef Cottage Pie 

Ingrediants; Approxomate, can be adjusted to your own requirements;

500g British Minced Beef,

3 large Onions,

3 Oxo Cubes,

6 to 8 Medium Potato,

Salt,Pepper,Parsley - to taste,

1 to 2 tabelespoons Milk,

1oz Butter or Spread,

2 - 3 tablespoons Plain Flour for thickening

Preperation;  It usualy takes me about 30 minutes preperation time 

I have based this recipe upon my family of 2 adults and 3 children.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

1] Prepare, peel and chop potatoes, cook in saucepan of water untill tender. Remove from heat and drain, set aside. I tend to leave lid on the pan to allow potoes to finish cooking in there own steam. Then mash the potato and add butter,milk and seasoning to taste.

2] Prepare, peel and slice Onions

3] Prepare stock ; In boiling water approx 1/2pint, crumble & disolve Oxo cubes to make stock
4] In saucepan on medium heat put a little hot water, add the mince and break up with a spoon, to prevent clumps. Cook mince for about 10 minutes. Add the sliced onions, seasoning to taste add  the stock, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 20minutes

5] While mince is cooking Place flour into bowl, add water to create a paste, making sure it is blended and no lumps then whisk in a few tablespoons of the gravy from the mince, mix well then add the paste slowly, into the mince and stir well. Remove from heat.

6] Fill a deep ovenproof dish or I tend to use Pie foils 8inch x 8 inch, with the meat filling, it should fill about 1/3 to 1/2 way up. Then carefully top with the mash potato and decorate as prefered and bake in oven for approx 30 minutes or untill golden brown. Ensure food is piping hot.

Hints & Tips

I sometimes add a cup full of frozen garden peas and 2 large, peeled and small diced carrots to the mince when cooking.

As I use the pie foils, the cottage pie can be frozen and then re heated in the oven, for approxomately 45 minutes or until piping hot.

Serve with vegetables or green salad.