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 use ready made mash (not the frozen stuff)

Heat it up add some more milk (warmed) and butter then add over mince veg mix that takes half hour

20 min in the over

I use frozen onions, mince (much nicer texture) and recently discovered tescos frozen herbs that are lovely

Have little time on my hands and this all helps and tastes good

I agree OP. Personally I think weeknight supper is something basic and quick.

You can have cottage pie in the week, but it's not a weekday supper. It takes too long, and is also faffy

Good mince takes a while to cook, plus the pie needs oven baking because the sauce soaks into the mash a bit. Grilled is not the same.

It's also a 3 pan situation, which personally is too much washing up for me in the week.

Lasagne is definitely not mid week! It takes ages, if I'm not going to bother doing it properly I might as well just get a ready meal. That's also min 3 pan situation, and I like to infuse my milk for the bechamel

With a roast, it's just bung in the oven, go the gym whatever come back and it's done, so I have done this midweek. Cottage pie takes effort, plus I have never found frozen mash that tastes like mash, it's always really salty and goopy so I would have to mash from scratch.

Completely agree. Creates far too many dishes, at least 2 saucepans and an oven dish, more if adding veg on side.
I can’t seem to make it in under an hour, including peeling the potatoes etc. Far too much hassle midweek here when we get home around 6 and dc go to bed at 7.

I'm hungry now after reading this....

Cottage pie, shepherds pie, lasagne - all great for week night dinner. I just cook in advance and freeze - easy!

Mince done in slow cooker - nothing else compares!

IT is not a lesser or inferior meal if a cottage pie is cooked in advance and kept in the freezer or the fridge. It is exactly the same!

Cook on the day if you want to, cook in advance if you want to...it's all a shepherds pie which is a good home cooked meal. (Obviously not if a ready meal)

Update: the cottage pie is now eaten and was enjoyed by adults and children, despite the sweet potato mash. I am halfway through the washing up. DH has gone to the shop for chocolate. It’s all good.

I have no intention of making a proper cottage pie from scratch if I get in the door at 6pm. YANBU. However when I do make it on a Sunday and have it with lots of veg, we always have it on a Monday with beans (and brown sauce). The same rule applies to homemade lasagne, that is also not a quick week night meal.

Tinklylittlelaugh we always eat at 9pm, I'm just thinking now at 8pm that I should take a look in the fridge to see what's in there...

OP I agree that Cottage Pie is a bit of a faff to make but it's quite delicious

Make load of the meat stuff, then freeze in portions. Mash is done in 30 mins. Easy peasy!

It’s mince meat and tattie s

House work done this morning, then off to work till 3.30 home by 4pm, I've made lasagne and cottage pie from scratch tonight.
I enjoy cooking and my Boys are late teens, early twenties so easier than having little ones around I suppose.

I am not well, I do not work, but I love to do cottage pie as I can fit it in with when I feel able to do things. I had an 'easy dinner' night last night, and also did not leave my house yesterday. I felt fairly well at about mid afternoon, so made the meat bit of it. I did not simmer the meat for 40 minutes! I certainly did not add tomato of any kind.

Today I had a bit of a generally bisy day, doctors for blood tests (hour and a half wait) quick trip to the garden centre. All I had to do was peel, boil and mash some spuds to put on top, then put in the oven for 45 minutes (no 20 minutes here for that, we like a crispy mash), prep and cook veg and make quick gravy. Oh and as I have a DS who refuses to eat anything gravy-ish, make a pasta bake with meatballs for him.

It is a weekday meal in this house and one three of us looks forward to very much!

Find a less faffy recipe. It really doesn't need that long. And who puts tomatoes in it - it's not a lasagne!

We gave up boiling and mashing the tatties for cottage or shepherds pie and just use that Idahoan powdered mash. It tastes great, is so easy to make and cuts a lot of time off making the dish. I know what you mean, though, OP. It's not a quick meal to prepare.

Cottage pie or shepherds pie takes me an absolute age to make. Very time consuming.

Haven't RTFT but I'm with you OP

Dont get in til 6 so mid week meal needs to be start to finish in about 20 min! And mince definitely improves the more you cook it. If it's not cooked for long it's more like chewy meat than a meat sauce

Yes, it's definitely at least 3 pans (2 saucepans plus the pie dish) and a further saucepan at least if you have veg on the side. I mean, I do cook cottage pie mid week - it's just that I would never think of it as a quick meal. The frittata we had tonight was a quick meal. The carrots would still be hard if you only cook the mince for 10 minutes and the meat wouldn't taste of much. Also I wouldn't batch cook mince for lasagne and cottage pie and freeze because they're completely different recipes - I don't use the same ingredients in lasagne ragu as in cottage pie.

Hate cottage pie. It's bland like most English food tbh

It's only bland if you make it badly. Cottage pie, or ragu or shepherd's pie is a lot better if not rushed, so I agree is not a 'come in from work and need something on the table in under an hour' meal.

Cottage or Shepherd's pie is so much better if it is made from leftovers from the roast, or really slowly simmered if made from mince. Same for ragu - traditionnally that is supposed to be simmered for 2 or 3 hours, not mince quickly fried and tomatoes thrown on it for 20 minutes. If that's the time you have, make something else.

I sometimes start tomorrow's meal later in the evening, after we have eaten. Then you can have something simmering slowly for a while. And then all you have to do the next day is do the mash, or assemble the lasagne. Or make big batches of the meat base when I do have time and then again, it's just a sides and assembly job.

Try using quorn mince,you don't need to cook it first😁

Of course it’s a week day evening meal. Put the meat in the slow cooker all day or better still cook it on low the evening before and leave it in the fridge overnight. Next day, mash on top, easy.