to say that cottage pie is NOT a “weekday meal”

[RiddleMeThis2018]

Cottage pie is delicious. I know how to make it, but sometimes I like to look at a recipe online, to make sure I don’t put too much tomato in by mistake (disappointing, not to be recommended). Almost ALL the recipes say “delicious week-night supper” or similar. This is NOT a weeknight supper!! I couldn’t do it yesterday because the DCs and I got back from swimming too late. I’m not even working today and I had to psych myself up to it. The mince takes 50 mins to simmer, and that’s after all the chopping. Then there’s 20 mins in the oven assuming you time the potatoes right. And then the washing up!

I don’t blame cottage pie. I blame the website writers who want to make me think I should just whip this up on a Thursday when I get in from work. AIBU?

I do it in 40 mins so if I start from after school run, say 4, it’s plenty of time.

You can put the mince in to the slow cooker in the day and just finish with the mash.

I do it a lot, and yep, in the week

Batch cook, pull out of the freezer the evening before.

Are you serious?

Definitely a weekday supper here.

Peel spuds, put them onto cook whilst doing mince. shove mince in dish, mash spuds, bung on top and under the grill to crisp up. Forty minutes tops.

It's a weeknight supper if you're home after school/work and not taking the dc to clubs!

Well it does take aong time but if you're at home during the day you could do it. Or make it at the weekend to keep for during the week.

I do it in the week. We are actually having it today 🤷‍♀️ it's not really that long. Chop it all up and throw it in the pans. I just go back a couple of times to stir. It's an easy mid week meal for us.

Well, it’s a weeknight supper here because I make it at the weekend and bung it in the oven on a weeknight.....

Batch cook, pull out of the freezer the evening before.
Yeah, but if you batch cook, that doesn’t make it a weekday meal. That makes it a freezer meal.

I do shepherds pie a lot in the week in the winter. You just have to be organised veg/potato peeled and chopped ready. Put the mince on at same time as potatoes so they will be ready at same time, then mash and put on top of mince and whack in oven 20 mins. But yes it's not a quick dinner for after a swimming lesson - that would be pasta or pizza lol.

Lasagne is not a week night meal either for these very reasons.

Although I do class cottage pie as slightly less effort and time.

Oops pressed send too soon.

Batch cook and freeze.

YABU

You don't need to simmer the mince for 50 minutes!

And I don't think there is anymore washing up than you would have with most meals - in fact it's probably less than many.

Nope, too long for me. Don’t get home until after 5, have two young DC to entertain and feed as quickly as possible, not going to start that from scratch when I get in knackered. Some people clearly have much more time and energy than me.

I loathe cottage pie so a bit biased but you're kidding yourself if you think it's anything other than a bog standard midweek dinner.

Yabu.

Surely it's no more or less complicated than lasagne? I don't really like cottage pie but wouldn't think twice about pulling together a lasagne on a weeknight. Plus as pps have said you could pre-do the mince and just top it with potato of an evening?

Depends on how you do it? I can never be bothered to put the mash on and put it in the oven. We have the mince and veg part (20 mins tops from start to finish, but don't use beef, only turkey or sometimes pork mince) and then the mash next to it. So maybe half an hour in total?

Sometimes we don't peel potatoes as we like the mash with the skin on as well.

It’s about as simple as it comes. 40 minutes tops including prep time

Weekday supper for me growing up. Now I’m a veggie and make it with lentils which does take ages, but mum used to make it for us regularly during the week when I was a child (and she worked full time!).

Mmm. It is a midweek recipe for us but only because I buy soffrito ready chopped which quarters the prep time. If I had to chop everything it would be a weekend only supper.

I think it depends on what time you get home too. We walk in through the front door at 6.45 which is quite late when it comes to starting dinner for two hungry offspring.

Sorry but definitely a week day super here

Fry your oinions and mince with some herbs and an ox cube (about 10 minutes)

Add whatever extra veg you want (we use spinach and mushroom from frozen) cook for another 5 minutes, add some Worcestershire sauce, a good squeeze of ketchup, and move to a dish.

While cooking mince, boil your potatoes (10 minutes) mash with a bit of butter

Put mash on top, bake for 15-20 minutes (or if you're really pushed grill for 5 minutes, or until the mash starts to brown)

I'd say 40 minutes total including prep.

It’s one of the dishes I love to cook- but we never eat it on the day I make it. I make a gigantic pot of mash when I feel domestic goddessy and batch cook Shepherd’s pie (we prefer it to Cottage) and fish pie for the freezer. I wouldn’t consider it a after work meal either.

Who puts tomato in cottage pie?!

Well it is a weekday meal in that it’s not a special occasion one. Though I agree it’s more time consuming than a lot of others. Lasagne even more so which is why I rarely make it