Cottage Pie with Beef Mince and Lentils (Veggie-Packed)

This easy cottage pie with beef mince and lentils is a great way to stretch your meat further, cut costs, and sneak in extra veggies & fibre.

With the price of meat (and everything, really) skyrocketing, mince (ground beef) is a cheap and versatile staple for feeding the family.

This meal stretches it even further by adding a tin of lentils and plenty of veggies. In fact, I get two meals out of this recipe and freeze half (without the mashed topping) for a quick and easy meal later on.

Also, full confession: I ‘cheat’ and use frozen mashed potatoes for this recipe. It’s quick, easy, and it tastes almost as good as the homemade version. A bag of it in the freezer can be really handy, and as it comes in little batons, it’s great for single serves, or you can defrost a couple of the batons to bind tuna rissoles and similar.

Ingredients

The base of this dish is beef mince and tinned lentils. The lentils not only make this dish a bit cheaper, but they also add fibre, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer (I feel like that’s a line from an ad), and nobody will notice they’re even in there.

The vegetables are flexible. I used mushrooms because I had some in the fridge that needed using up, but you can swap or add whatever you have on hand: frozen mixed vegetables, corn, zucchini, whatever needs to be used up. It’s a great way to clean out the crisper.

Keep things quick and easy by using frozen mashed potatoes or making your own from scratch (recipe below).

How to Make Cottage Pie with Mince and Lentils

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C / 350°F).

Step 2 – Brown the beef mince in a hot pan with no oil, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3 – Add a little oil to the same pan and cook the chopped onion, carrot, and celery over a medium heat until softened and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.

Step 4 – Return the mince to the pan. Add the frozen peas, tinned (drained) lentils, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and the beef stock (or stock cube dissolved in boiling water). Stir well to combine.

Step 5 – Simmer over a low-medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6 – Transfer the filling to an oven-safe dish.

Step 7 – Top evenly with mashed potato and sprinkle over a little grated Parmesan if desired. I like to fluff the potato up with a fork so that it has yummy brown bits.

Step 7 – Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the top is golden.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze the pie mixture without the potato topping. Let cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Label and freezer for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to use it, defrost the filling in the fridge overnight, top with mashed potato, and bake as usual. Easy second dinner done.

To reheat from the fridge: warm in the oven at 180°C until heated through, or microwave individual portions until steaming hot.

Serving Suggestions

This is a hearty all-in-one dish with protein, carbs, and plenty of vegetables, so you really don’t need anything on the side.

That said, if you want to stretch it further or just fancy something extra, it goes beautifully with a simple green salad, some crusty bread, or garlic bread, which I like to keep in the freezer for a quick and easy side to these kinds of meals.

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