I wanted to make my sister and brother in law something for supper the other night. My dad also eats there every night.
My sister was going to be working all day and I know that it can sometimes be a struggle for her to come home after work and then have to think about cooking a meal. It is an age old struggle for the working woman I know!
I decided to surprise her with a ready made meal so that all she had to do was to come home, pop it into the oven and voila! A bit of veg or a salad on the side and dinner would be ready.
I had some extra ground beef thawed out from having had our Eileen and Tim for supper the night before. I cooked meat loaf for them. I used the recipe for meat loaf in the Hopeful Things Cookbook.
It was very good.
My dad and Dan can be a little bit fussy and so I decided to make a Cottage Pie. I adapted a recipe of Mary Berry's that I found in her book, Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook.
Its a very good cookbook by the way. It reminds me very much of the Hamlyn All Color Cookbook that I had to leave behind in the UK. She did edit that cookbook back in the day so that's not really a surprise!
One thing I really like about Mary's recipes is that they are completely reliable. You can depend on them to work out, and they are also very family friendly.
I am only sorry that I could not show you this cottage pie dug into, but since it was going somewhere else for supper, that really wasn't an option!
What you have here is a really great basic minced beef filling, perfect for a family cottage pie, topped with a lovely delicious thatch of cheesy mash!
You really can't go wrong. Its simple, tasty, easy to make and delicious. I did make myself a cottage pie stuffed baked potato from some of it, so I did have some supper myself as well.
The filling was very generous to say the least so I knew a few tablespoons of it would not be missed, and it wasn't.
The cottage pie stuffed potatoes were very easy to make. I simply baked a russet potato in the oven until it was tender, cut it in half lengthwise and scooped out the insides.
I added the potato I scooped out to the cheesy mash I had made to top the cottage pie with and then filled the empty jackets, each half with about 2 TBS of the filling, and then topped with a small amount of cheesy mash.
This got baked in the oven along side of the cottage pie. Everyone was happy!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE COTTAGE PIE WITH CHEESY TOPPING
Simple ingredients put together in a most delicious way. You really can't go wrong.
For the filling:
- a bit of oil
- one large onion
- one large carrot
- one stick of celery
- 1 1/2 pound of beef mince (I like to use lean and quality)
- a bit of flour
- beef stock
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato paste (puree)
- salt and black pepper
I buy my ground beef at the local farmer's market, Goucher's. It is, hand on heart, 100% better than anything you can find in the grocery store. It is the same color on the inside as it is on the outside.
The cheesy mash was equally as simple ingredients-wise.
For the topping:
- potatoes suitable for mashing
- butter
- milk
- mature cheddar cheese (extra sharp)
HOW TO MAKE COTTAGE PIE WITH CHEESY TOPPING
You start by making the meat filling. A trinity of taste, celery, carrot and onion are first sautéed in a bit of canola oil. You will find that this trio of flavors is the basis of many savory dishes. You want to make sure you have them finely chopped.
This is called a Mirepoix and makes for a very aromatic base, injecting plenty of flavor to the sauce. It is also known as Sofrito in Spanish and Soffritto in Italy!
You then add the ground beef and continue to cook everything until the beef has begun to brown all over. A bit of flour for thickening then gets stirred in. Not a lot really.
A quantity of beef stock and some additional flavors are then added. I use the Knorr Gel stock pots to make my stock. You will also be adding some tomato puree/paste, Worcestershire sauce before seasoning it with salt and pepper.
If you are like me you won't need a lot of salt. Some of the ingredients are quite salty anyways, like the stock and the Worcestershire sauce. So do taste before you add.
This mixture gets simmered, covered, for about 45 minutes, until all of the flavors are beautifully melded together and that sauce/ filling is rich and thick. Spoon this into the bottom of your baking dish.
While your sauce/filling is simmering away you can get on with the business of making the cheesy mash thatch topping. (Thatch as in thatched roof.)
Cover your peeled and chunked potatoes with cold lightly salted water and bring them to the boil. Cook until they are fork tender and then drain them really well. You don't want soggy potatoes. I give them a couple of shakes in the pot I cooked them in over the heat from the burner to make sure they are really dried out.
They then get mashed together with some hot milk and butter, along with a bit of seasoning. Again, be judicious with the salt as you will be adding cheese and cheese is very salty.
Once you have the right consistency for your mash, stir in the cheese to melt. This mixture gets spread over top of the meat filling.
The easiest way to do this is to dollop it on in a few places, and then spread those dollops over to meet and cover the filling. You can make a fancy pattern on it with a fork if you want.
Its actually really nice if you rough the topping up a bit as this creates lots of tasty crispy bits that are most enjoyable. That's it!
Pop it into the oven, bake until bubbling and golden brown and then enjoy, nice and hot with some veg or a salad on the side!
This can also be made and baked in six smaller individual casserole dishes or in empty potato shells as above! Its delicious any way you make it.
You can also make it a day ahead of time. Cover and keep in the refrigerator overnight. I would take it out about half an hour before cooking it to take the chill off the dish and then cook as the recipe states.
It still make take a few minutes longer. I don't really recommend freezing this.
What you have here is a hearty family style one dish supper which is a real belly warmer and a comfort food dish through and through.
I know my sister, brother in law and father really enjoyed it so it got thumbs up all round the table! I can say it was also excellent as a jacket potato filler!
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Cottage Pie with Cheesy Topping
Yield: 6
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 35 MTotal time: 1 H & 45 M
This is one of Mary Berry's recipes for a delicious cottage pie which can be baked as one large pie, or several smaller ones. Or a large pie and a couple of stuffed Jacket potatoes.
Ingredients
For the meat filling:
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds (750g) minced beef (I like to use a lean one)
- 2 tsp plain all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) beef stock
- 1 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the cheesy potato topping:
- 1 1/2 pounds (750g) potatoes for mashing, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 TBS butter
- 2 - 3 TBS hot milk
- 4 ounces (125g) mature cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrot and celery. Cook for a few minutes, then crumble in the beef. Cook, stirring frequently until the beef has browned.
- Sprinkle the flour over top and cook, stirring for about a minute, then add the stock, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce. Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally.
- While the filling is cooking, prepare the potato topping. Put the potatoes into a saucepan of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil. Cook at a quick simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Shake the pan over the residual heat of the burner for a few minutes to dry the potatoes out.
- Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk until soft and lump free. Stir in the cheese until it melts. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. (Remember cheese is quite salty.)
- Spoon the meat filling into a deep dish or into 6 smaller deepish dishes. Spread the cheesy potato mash over top to cover, roughing it up a bit.
- Bake in a 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6 oven for 20 to 25 minutes for small pies, or 35 to 40 minutes for a larger pie. When done the meat filling will be bubbling and the potato topping will be golden brown.
- Serve hot with a vegetable or salad on the side.
Notes:
I used some of the filling to stuff a jacket potato. I baked the potato in a hot oven for about 50 minutes (400*F/200*C) When done I cut it in half lengthwise and scooped out the flesh with a spoon. I added this to the cheesy mash. I filled each potato half with 2 TBS of the meat filling and then spooned a portion of cheesy mash on top of each and baked them along side of the main casserole, until bubbling and golden brown.
These Easy 7-Up Biscuits are a recipe which I have wanted to try for a very long time. I think maybe even years. I just never got around to it until now.
Boy, have I ever been missing out! These are the BEST biscuits! So easy to make and quick to make as well. Light and fluffy!
They use only four ingredients, a baking mix, some sour cream, 7-up soda pop and butter. That's it. Easy peasy.
You can use a store bought baking mix such as Bisquick, or make your own biscuit mix. I do that and keep it in the freezer, ready to use as and when.
With there only being me in the house now, that only makes sense. I simply would not get a traditional box of baking mix used up in time before it expired.
I make a batch of my homemade baking mix, pop it into a tightly sealed container and then I can use as much or as little as I wish to whenever I need it. It also really easy to make.
You can access my homemade mix recipe here. Just scroll down the page and you will find a printable recipe.
It comes in handy for all sorts. Other than making your own, you can use Bisquick or any other commercially produced baking mix.
And really, don't worry about using it all up. I have plenty of recipes on here that are delicious and that you can use it in:
You really don't want to miss out on making and baking these delicious biscuits. Seriously they are one of the most delicious biscuits I have ever made, and are so convenient and quick to make as well.
I have heard them also called Popeye's biscuits, after the biscuits that are found at that popular fast food eatery in the US. It is said they closely resemble those.
I cannot say for sure as I have never been to a Popeye's. I can only assure you that they are very delicious!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY 7-UP BISCUITS
Only 4 ingredients if you count the butter that is melted in the baking tin. Easy peasy.
- Baking mix (such as Bisquick)
- 7-up soft drink (not the diet version)
- Dairy sour cream (not low fat)
- Butter
That's it!
You will also need a bowl, a pastry blender, measuring cups, a biscuit cutter and an 8 or 9-inch square baking tin. You will also need some plain flour to dust the surface you pat out and cut your biscuits on.
HOW TO MAKE EASY 7-UP BISCUITS
These biscuits are super easy to make. You begin by putting some melted butter into a square baking tin. You can either melt the butter first, or pop the butter into the tin and pop the tin into the preheating oven.
Just don't forget its in the oven or your butter will burn. It doesn't take long at that high a temperature. So you really only need to have it in there for a few minutes.
To make the biscuits themselves you will need to mix together the baking mix, sour cream, and 7up. Measure the baking mix into a bowl. Drop in the sour cream.
You need to cut the sour cream into the baking mix. I used a pastry blender. When it is mixed properly you will have a mixture that closely resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Finally you stir in the 7-up. This is what makes your dough all nice and puffy. I use a fork to mix it in.
The dough will be quite soft and sticky. Don't worry that is the way it is supposed to look.
Sprinkle some extra baking mix or plain flour onto the counter or cutting board and tip the dough onto the top of it. Flour your hands and pat the dough out into a square that is roughly 1/2 inch thick.
Cut out the biscuits using a 3-inch sharp cutter, pulling together the scraps and re-cutting the dough as needed. It find it helps to flour the edges of the cutter in between the cuts. Its a simple thing.
Place the biscuits into the buttered pan and bake as per the recipe. Have a small knob of butter ready to brush over the top of the baked biscuits when they come out of the oven.
This isn't totally necessary, but its awfully nice. There no need to melt it or anything, the heat from the biscuits will do that.
Just pop the butter onto a fork and brush it over the hot biscuits, where it sill melt and glaze them nicely.
And that's all there is to it! Easy peasy and quick as a wink. No fuss, no muss.
Look at the beautiful texture of those biscuits. They come out all crisp and buttery edged from the butter in the bottom of the pan. Oh so tasty!
They don't rise up real high, or at least mine didn't, but they do rise a bit and are nice and light.
I loved the crisp edges and that buttery exterior. I also loved the flaky, light interior. These are just perfect. I enjoyed one fresh out of the oven with some butter and strawberry jelly. Oh so good.
Delicious on their own with butter and jam, these also go very well with soups or stews, cold cuts, bacon, cheese, eggs . . .
In short these go well with just about anything! I hope that you will give these a go the next time you are looking for a quick and easy bread recipe.
I guarantee you will not be disappointed! These are perfect in every way!
7-Up Biscuits
Yield: 9 Biscuits
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min
This recipe makes 9 beautiful light and flaky biscuits and uses only 4 simple ingredients if you count the butter in the pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) baking mix such as Bisquick
- 1/2 cup (95g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120ml) 7-up soda (not the diet one)
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted, plus additional butter to rub on top of the warm biscuits (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230(C/ gas mark 6. Put the butter into an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Set aside.
- Measure the baking mix into a bowl. Cut in the sour cream until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 7-up. It will be a very damp mixture.
- Sprinkle a cutting board or your counter-top with some flour. Tip the dough out onto this and pat it out into a 1/2 inch thick square using floured fingers. Using a floured sharp 3-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 9 rounds, re-patting the scraps as needed.
- Pop the rounds into the butter coated baking tin.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12 to fifteen minutes, at which time they should be golden brown.
- Rub the tops with some cold butter if desired. Delicious!
Maple Walnut Vinegar Pie. I was having my daughter and her husband over for dinner the other night and I wanted to make it a really nice meal.
My son in law does have rather simple tastes. So we just had meatloaf, mac & cheese, salad and then I baked this fabulous pie for dessert!
I had to be really careful when it came to what I cooked because I wanted to make sure that Tim would eat it. He is quite fussy when it comes to food.
I baked my traditional meatloaf. He had two helpings. I call that a win! He also had two helpings of my mac and cheese. I also considered that to be a win.
He passed on the salad, but ate the canned niblets corn I served. You can't win them all. He also passed on this pie and had some ice cream and a donut in its place.
That's okay. As my daughter so rightly said, "More for me!" I concurred. Its a shame he wouldn't try it because he was losing out on a really delicious pie!
Maple Walnut Vinegar Pie is a Canadian twist on the American Pecan Pie. Maple and walnuts are naturally a brilliant flavor combination, and one that my family just loves!
But just what is a vinegar pie and why vinegar?
Please don't be put off by the mention of vinegar in this pie. Vinegar, or for that matter, lemon juice, is often used in piece to take the edge off of a super sweet filling.
You barely even notice the vinegar flavor. I strongly suspect it was added back when lemons were not often available and considered to be a bit of a luxury.
Quite an inventive solution to what was probably a very real problem. In fact you will historically find pie recipes that use nothing but vinegar.
This is a prime example of one such a pie. I can well imagine that it was very delicious. I am going to seek out a recipe in one of my old cookbooks and bake one some day just to see.
I have a very old Quaker cookbook as well as an old French Canadian Cookbook. Watch this space!
In any case this pie does use apple cider vinegar, but don't be put off by it. It is barely discernable and helps what would normally be a super sweet pie, from going over the top.
In short, this is one very delicious pie!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MAPLE WALNUT VINEGAR PIE
I am guessing with perhaps the exception of the walnuts, you probably have everything in your house to make this delicious pie right now, and, if you are like me, you will probably have the walnuts too!
- one unbaked single pie crust (I use my butter lard pastry recipe. Just freeze one crust for another time.)
- Large free range eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Orange juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Maple syrup
- Butter
- salt
- Chopped Walnuts
HOW TO MAKE MAPLE WALNUT VINEGAR PIE
This is a very simple pie to make and there is no reason you cannot have success with it if you follow my instructions and tips!
You will need an unbaked single crust pie shell. I always like to prebake my single crusts for a few minutes if I am going to be using a really wet filling such as this one.
Its very easily done. Just pop it onto a baking sheet and then into a moderate oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, no longer. This just helps to prevent a soggy bottom, and you know none of us wants a pie with a soggy bottom!
Once you have done that you can scatter the toasted chopped walnuts across the bottom of the pie shell. There are plenty of them. (If you are only now just toasting them, make sure you cool them off a bit.)
You will need to gently warm the maple syrup with the butter to melt the butter. Do this first and then it will be cooled down sufficiently when it comes time to add it to the remaining ingredients.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, orange juice and vinegar together in a large bowl. You want everything to be well blended. Then slowly whisk in the maple syrup/butter mixture. Again, until everything is well blended.
You are then ready to pour this mixture carefully over the walnuts in the pie crust. Try not to dislodge the walnuts too much, but if you do, then you can gently rake them into place with a fork.
TOP TIP! When you are dealing with a pie with a soupy filling such as this one, do the final assembly very near to the oven. It also helps to have the pastry base/pie plate on a baking sheet which makes it much easier to get it into the oven.
This helps to prevent a lot of sloshing about! If you are near the oven when you go to pour the filling in the dish, and you have it on a baking sheet, you can prevent yourself from making a huge mess in the kitchen.
Once you have the filling in the pie, it is as simple as popping the pie into the oven and baking it. I turn it around halfway through the bake time (180*).
It is finished when the crust edges and filling are both golden brown along. The filling will also be slightly puffy and it will barely jiggle if you give the pie a gentle nudge to check.
Take it out of the oven and place the pie on a wire rack to cool completely before eating. The filling will sink a tiny bit and not be so puffed once it is cold.
You can either chill this and serve it cold from the refrigerator, or you can serve it at room temperature.
We enjoyed this at room temperature with some refrigerated whipped cream squirted on top. It went down a real treat. This is a really special pie, with a beautiful maple walnut flavor.
It would be the perfect addition to any special or holiday meal! You really don't want to miss out on this one!
Maple Walnut Vinegar Pie
Yield: 8 - 10
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
This delicious pie is the Canadian cousin to Pecan Pie. Equally as delicious!
Ingredients
You will need:
- One single crust unbaked pie shell (I like to use my Butter/Lard pastry, scroll down to near the bottom of linked page for the recipe.)
For the filling:
- 3 large free range eggs, plus one egg yolk (freeze the white for another use)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
- 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) pure maple syrup
- 4 TBS butter, cut into smaller bits
- pinch salt
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a 9-inch pie dish with your pastry. Flute or crimp the edges, prick and partially bake for 10 minutes. (Have it on baking sheet, and leave it on the baking sheet.)
- Scatter the toasted walnut pieces in the bottom of your pie crust.
- Gently warm the maple syrup with the butter, just until the butter melts. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, orange juice, salt and vinegar together in a bowl until well blended. Whisk in the maple syrup/butter mixture, again until well blended.
- Carefully pour this mixture over the walnuts in the pie crust, taking care not to dislodge the nuts as much as possible.
- Bake the pie on the baking sheet, in the middle of your oven, for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and slightly puffy. Rotate the pie halfway through the bake time. (180*)
- The pie is done when the filling is set. Give the pie a gentle nudge to check. There should ebe no discernable wobble. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature, cut into wedges. with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.
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