English Cottage Pie With Cheddar And Parsnip Mash - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
500 g beef mince
1 tablespoon tomato puree
300 ml beef stock, hot
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 -5 fresh thyme leaves
FOR THE CHEDDAR PARSNIP MASH
350 g floury potatoes
350 g parsnips
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
50 g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180\u00b0C/fan160\u00b0C/gas 4.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
Add the mince, turning the heat up and cook for 5 minutes until it is completely browned; Add the tomato puree, stir for 1 minute and add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme.
Bring it to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes; Uncover and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed; Check the seasoning and then spoon into a 2 litre ovenproof dish.
For the mash, cut the parsnips and potatoes into medium sized pieces and put into a large pan of cold salted water; Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender; Drain and return to the pan for 30 seconds to get rid of any excess moisture; Mash with the milk and nutmeg, season and set aside.
Spoon the mash onto the mince; Rough it up with a fork and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the mash is golden and crisp in places.