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Slow Cooker Cottage Pie (Finished In The Oven)

A comforting cottage pie with a rich slow-cooked beef filling, topped with creamy lactose-free mash and finished in the oven with a golden cheesy topping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 3
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For The Beef Filling
  • 500 g beef mince
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 150 g celeriac, peeled and diced
  • 200 ml beef stock (use 1 stock cube)
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 100 g frozen garden peas, defrosted
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Thicken (If Needed)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp cold water
For The Mash Topping
  • 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 40 g lactose-free butter
  • 60 ml lactose-free milk
  • salt to taste
  • 75-100 g lactose-free cheese

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.Add the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the beef mince to the pan and cook for 5–7 minutes until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
  4. Remove the beef and onion mixture from the pan and set aside.
    In the same pan, add the diced carrots and celeriac. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just to soften slightly and take the raw edge off.
  5. Remove the beef and onion mixture from the pan and set aside.
    In the same pan, add the diced carrots and celeriac. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just to soften slightly and take the raw edge off.
  6. Remove the beef and onion mixture from the pan and set aside.
    In the same pan, add the diced carrots and celeriac. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just to soften slightly and take the raw edge off.
  7. While the filling finishes cooking, allow the frozen peas to defrost at room temperature.
    Stir the defrosted peas into the hot beef mixture just before transferring to an ovenproof dish.
  8. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender.Drain thoroughly and mash with lactose-free butter and milk until smooth. Season to taste.
  9. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
    Spoon the beef filling into a large ovenproof dish. Top with mashed potato and spread evenly. Use a fork to rough up the surface.
    Bake for 15 minutes until the mash begins to turn lightly golden.
    Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the grated lactose-free cheese, and return to the oven for a further 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
    Allow to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Dice the vegetables small: Cutting the carrots and celeriac into small pieces helps them cook evenly in the slow cooker.
• Brown the mince first: Browning the beef with the onion and garlic before adding it to the slow cooker adds much more flavour to the filling.
• Add peas at the end: Stir the peas into the hot filling just before assembling the pie so they stay bright and tender.
• Thicken the filling if needed: If the sauce looks a little thin after slow cooking, mix a tablespoon of cornflour with cold water and stir it into the filling until thickened.
• Let the pie rest before serving: Allow the cottage pie to rest for about 5–10 minutes after baking so the filling can settle.