T think the only difference between cottage pie and spa bol is one has potatoes on top and the other has pasta on the bottom?

[TwosaCrowd]

Unless I've been doing something massively wrong all these years? Both just onion, garlic, mince, p'raps mushrooms and maybe chopped or grated carrot.

ilovemargaret Why not make them with the chopped carrot, celery and onions and other chopped or sliced vegetables in season peppers, aubergines, courgettes., small chunks of sweet potato, and so on . If you brown them all well before adding the stock and tomatoes (and i definitely would add tomatoes in this case) it should make a nice base for the mashed potato it will be different to traditional cottage pie but should be much tastier than quorn or tvp.

sorry OP but those dishes are nothing like the same in this house or anywhere I have ever eaten out. If I ordered spag bol and it tasted like shepherds pie, I would be very disappointed.

In fact the worst pub lasgane I ever had was literally mince and watery tinned tomatoes, no lovely veg in it at all, and no thickened tomato puree-y sauce - it was rank and flavourless.

My mum always used to add a tin of toms or beans to shep pie but that was about making the mince go further when feeding a family on a tight budget.

my shep pie is mince, gravy/stock, a tiny bit of tomato puree, onion sometimes a few peas or carrots

bolognaise has mince, loads of tomatoes and tom puree, onion, garlic, herbs, peppers, mushrooms, courgette maybe

Cottage pie has gravy. Spag Bol is tomatoes and wine.

Star - Im not sure the exact science but all cakes in ski resorts are made this way and taste great

Thank you Siobhan

I will do this, and maybe with lentils too. I love the sound of your/Marcella's recipe btw, chicken livers are amazing.

I guess I'm just wanting a magic meat substitute that tastes, acts and looks exactly like meat unrealistic fantasy

Any lentil bolognaise recipes anyone?

I agree very different tomatoes/garlic sauce vs. gravy. I never make cottage pie only shepards pie. I add a tin of green lentils which work brilliantly.

If I put veg in my shepherds pie it is carrots, sweet corn and peas (freeze it and use from frozen as a complete meal).

Spag bol has tomatoes, mushrooms, wine, Italian herbs no stock cube

Yes. Cottage pie for me is beef, onion, beef gravy granules plus mash
Spaghetti bolognaise is beef, garlic, onion, tomatoes, veg and beef stock cubes, tomato purée and maybe red wine if I have some open oh and mushrooms.
Worlds apart.