Chunky Beef Cottage Pie

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1kg beef chuck steak, diced
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 175g packet Tuscan meatballs recipe base
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 600g orange sweet potato, peeled, chopped
• 550g lady christl potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 30g butter, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based, flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in batches, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat remaining oil in dish. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until just starting to brown. Add garlic. Cook, stirring for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in recipe base and stock. Bring to the boil. Return beef to dish. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Cook sweet potato and potato in a large saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan. Mash over low heat until smooth. Stir in butter and milk. Season with pepper.
4. Transfer beef mixture to an 8-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Spoon mash on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1kg beef chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
• 8 eschalots, peeled, halved
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp instant gravy powder
• 2 cups salt-reduced beef stock
• 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped
• 1 medium red capsicum, chopped
• 2/3 cup frozen peas

• Potato topping

• 1kg Sebago potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 1/3 cup milk
• 50g butter, chopped

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in batches, until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add eschalots and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until eschalots are golden. Return beef and juices to pan. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and gravy powder. Stir to combine. Add stock. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add carrot, celery and capsicum. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid. Simmer for 30 minutes or until beef is just tender and sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in peas.
4. Meanwhile, make potato topping. Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to pan. Mash potato. Add milk and butter. Season and mash until smooth.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Spoon beef mixture into an 8 cup-capacity ovenproof dish. Spoon over potato topping. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Stand 5 minutes. Serve.