Cowboys and comfort!

My ABC Food adventure has arrived at C. I was going to delay this until Tuesday but the recipe I have come across is so so good I had to share it - and as the weather is so utterly awful we all need comfort food on such cold days.

 If there was EVER a recipe I would encourage people to try it has got to be this one. Basic good honest cooking....no spices, no curries as some don't like - a take on a shepherd's pie, but what a take! Absolutely delicious and healthy too, complying with the conditions I set myself and Jon had to like it and I can tell you he wolfed it down.

Last Wednesday at Slimmingworld we were discussing meals we had enjoyed during the week. One of the gals, Carol had made this and her enthusiastic report made me want to try it asap - which I did on Friday. I hope my enthusiasm encourages others to give it a go - you will thank me for it I can tell you. Personally - this is the way forward for pies. Forget shepherds - give me cowboys!

Cowboy Pie! (No cowboys were harmed for this recipe!)

Fry Light (Very low calorie cooking oil/spray
500g pack extra lean mince beef (Vegetarian option could be quorn mince or something similar)
6 spring onions, white bulb thinly sliced and green leaves finely chopped
900g fresh diced carrot and swede
415g can baked beans
300ml beef stock
2tbsp worcestershire sauce
1tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
2x107g packs instant mash potato cheddar and onion flavour ( I made my own and sprinkled a small amount of cheese on top)
2 eggs, beaten

1) Place a pan sprayed with Fry Light over a medium heat.
Add the minced beef and stir fry for 3 minutes
Then add the white spring onions to the mince and stir fry for a further 2 minutes or until the meat is browned.

2) Add the carrot and swede, baked beans, beef stock, worcestershire sauce and
herbs, then season. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mine looked like this.

3) Preheat the grill to medium. Make the mash according to packet instructions or make own.
Add the spring onion greens to the mash with half the egg and beat well. Divide
the mince mixture between 4 ovenproof pie dishes, then spoon over the mash. Roughen up the tops of the pies with a fork, then brush with the remaining egg. I added a sprinkling of cheese.

4) Grill the pies for 3 minutes or until browned.

 I made 3 individual deep dishes approximately 5 inches in diameter and one tin foil double helping  (takeaway container size)


Serve with vegetables. I added salad too.