Heat wave – Italian shepherd’s pie – slow cooker

Well, I most definitely picked the right summer to stop office work and go back to being a SAHM. It’s just been beautiful weather and what a difference it makes to everyone’s mood eh?! If I was sat at work right now – writing yet another tedious legal letter to yet another idiot with nothing better to do than make complaints to all and sundry and I had to just gaze forlornly out of the window at blue skies I think I’d be very very miserable indeed. I do feel truly blessed this last couple of weeks to be back home with my boys and enjoying this lovely weather with them. We’ve basically lived outside for a couple of weeks now. Meals outside (love the fact that mess on floor outside is fine – in fact it’s bird food. That’s like nature conservation innit. Educational and all that. Not a sign of mummy being slovenly), painting outside, paddling pool outside, huge rows between brothers and pushing each other down the slide outside. I’m pretty sure my neighbours are getting a bit sick of me bollocking the boys very loudly several times a day (who am I kidding – several times an hour more like) but we’ve got high fences so out of sight out of mind!

I made this Italian shepherd’s pie a couple of weeks ago and it was really yummy. I made it again this week – I’d frozen a portion of the meat mixture and this time I topped it with sweet potato, carrot and potato mash. I served it to 5 toddlers aged between 2 and 4 – one of which is notoriously fussy and vegetable shy – and they all ate it up. I did use the promise of ice cream for pudding as a bargaining chip, but that my friends is the way of the toddler feeding negotiation world.

I used the slow cooker for the mince as I think it’s great on a hot day to whack it on and forget about it. I then made mash later on in the day and assembled the pie for tea time. But it can all be done in stages. The mince could be out in fridge overnight and mash done the next day and I use due below to make pies for 4 of us and then froze a portion of meat and defrosted it and made a pie for a load more kids. It stretches well so is really a cheap meal despite lamb mince being quite pricey.

Italian shepherd’s pie

250g lamb mince
Shallot or onion
2 cloves garlic minced/grated
2 carrots chopped
Courgette chopped
1/2 green pepper
Large handful puy or green lentils
Tin chopped tomatoes
Tbsp tomato purée
75ml white wine or vermouth
Teaspoon oregano
Tiny pinch dried chili flakes
Bay leaf

Fry off in a non stick frying pan the shallot for 3 minutes then add lamb mince and brown for another 3 minutes – then add wine, tomatoes and stir

While that’s all frying chop veg and throw into slow cooker (on high setting). Add the lamb, tomato mixture and refill tomato can half way with water. Add herbs and spices and give a quick stir.

Keep slow cooker on high for 30 mins then turn down low for the rest of the day.

Toppings – this makes a lovely take on a shepherd’s pie. (Although it’s also good with pasta)

I mashed potato with butter beans and Parmesan to go on top. I boiled potatoes (sorry but I forgot to weigh how much!) and them 3 mins from end of cooking I added a drained can of butter beans. Drained the potatoes and beans and then returned to pan with a knob of butter and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Mash up. (Not in a glee club mix of Aerosmith and Rhianna way. In a use a masher and squidge kind of way)

Put sauce in an oven proof dish, top with mash, add more grated cheese if you want them bake in oven around 185c for around 25 mins.

Enjoy!

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