Although the days are getting longer and Easter is on the horizon, it’s still cold, damp and grey.
Every morning I wave Naomi off to work and Daniella off to school leaving me and Chloe to our own devices.
I work from home but when it’s just the two of us I try not to get too caught up in things. If I’m able to grab 20 minutes here and there to reply to emails, plan posts or source the odd photo then great but I don’t count on it.
I try and have as much fun as possible with Chloe and if there is an opportunity to get outside we’ll go for it. Trips to the park are her favourite and we’ve had some really great daddy and daughter bonding times. The idea is to keep her active and wear her out in the process. In the last couple of weeks we haven’t been able to do this as the weather has been awful so we’ve done our other favourite thing and that’s cook!
With the weather being pretty dank (is that even a word?) I’ve been making food to warm the soul. Beef stew and dumplings, a variety of different soups and the recipe I’m sharing with you today – Shepherd’s Pie.
This is a simple recipe to cook from scratch and you don’t need a lot of things in the cupboard to get a tasty, wholesome family meal. It’s obvious that you can get a Shepherd’s Pie as a ready meal but it shocks me slightly that you can buy a packet mix for 90p or a stir in sauce for £1.45 to make it yourself. Then you have to buy all the other ingredients as well!
As this is a simple recipe, you don’t need to buy mixes to pull this off – anyone can do it!
- 500g lamb mince (£2.35)
- 1 large onion (12p)
- 4 carrots (24p)
- 1 clove of garlic (10p)
- 1 stock cube dissolved in 500ml hot water (2p)
- 2tbsp tomato purée (8p)
- 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce (9p)
- 1tbsp oil (1p)
- 1kg potatoes (47p)
- big slash of milk (4p)
- Chop the onions and carrots and add them to a pan of hot oil
- Cook slowly until they start to soften then add the lamb
- When the lamb is browned, mix in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée
- Leave to simmer for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 180C then make the mash by boiling potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain then mash together with the milk.
- Put the mince in an oven proof dish and top with the mashed potato
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes to brown the top
Shepherd’s Pie is not the only meal that people cheat at making – in fact there is a list of 20 meals that people don’t have a problem cheating at. However, these meals are simple, quick and easy to make. Take a look at the top 20 list of cheaters food and see if you cheat at any, or if you make more of your meals from scratch.
Ricky Willis is the original Skint Dad. A money-making enthusiast, father, and husband to Naomi. He is always looking for unique ways to earn a little extra.
