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 got as far as ‘you don’t need to simmer the mince’ ugh ugh ugh yes you do! Gritty cartilagey mince needs long slow cooking. I do mine fo at least two hours in any mince dish. Otherwise I wouldn’t eat it.

Op you are so not unreasonable. It is not a weekday meal.

I fry up a full packet of mince with lots of onions, then bung it in the fridge. On a weekday night, put potatoes on to boil, slice carrots and saute, add some of the mince mixture, a stock cube and herbs. I do also fry up a leek to go in the potato buit it's not necessary. Once potartoes ready, mash, add leek, put on top of mince, cook.

The rest of the mince and onions form the basis for e.g. spag bol / chilli on a different night.

Not a weekday meal. Only way to do weekday is prep some in advance eg peel potatoes and leave submerged in water until the evening for a head start.

Where are you all buying your mince? Honestly, if I cook it for 20 mins it's lovely. Chewy in a good way, but not gristly or tough or watery. I wouldn't want it to be the soft texture of tinned/school dinner mince.

For me it's a weekday meal because it doesn't need 'minding'. Once it's in the oven I can do other stuff, do a mum taxi run etc etc.

I suppose i have two types of 'weekday evening' meals - one is 'quick to serve' - ie elapsed time from walking in the door to eating is short - and the other is 'quick to prepare but then has some time in the oven'. I plan in different types depending on the timetable for the evening in question.

I can't believe I keep coming back to this thread! Why do I care whhhaaaaaaaa!!

No squeaky or tasteless mince here .

I don’t like cottage pie so am already out... but also don’t have time to faff about in the week. Get home about 6 then it’s quick change, snack, back out the door to hobbies, home again, school stuff and reading while I frantically cook something / anything as quickly as possible, bath and bed. Sometimes I wish I was a bit more organised cooking-wise but it’s pick your battles at this age really and the dc do eat well, it just sometimes gets thrown in their general direction as opposed to silver service.

What about Shepards Pie.....? I'm thinking Thursday nights only.

The mince takes me ages - I like to let it go on low for a long time so the flavour can develop. It’s better then next day!

All the PPs who can get a mince based dish on the table in less than hour (or even less than 3 hours in my book) are responsible for giving British food a bad name. Watery, tasteless slop envy (not envy) And those adding gravy granules or whatever - envyenvy You realise you have to do that because you can't cook properly?!

Now who's putting who down?

The mince will not be watery or tasteless if it is decent mince.

YANBU OP. A midweek meal for me usually involves fried or grilled meat / fish and a salad, maybe bread on the side and fruit for dessert. Easier, more varied and colourful and much more appetising this time of the year IMO.

But that's my taste... keep peeling spuds and simmering mince by all means if that's what you like

I once did Mary Berry's recipe which took 1-2 hours. It had a different consistency but didn't taste any nicer than my recipe.

Did anyone die from eating your cordage/shepherds pie cooked the way you do? No, then that's all that matters as I'm sure it tasted good.

Cottage/Shepherds pie is fundamentally a stew with crisped mash on top.

The base should take at least 40 minutes to brown, add fluids and reduce and the mash a minimum of 20 minutes to brown (30 is better).

There is also a fair bit of washing up to do afterwards.

Whether it is a ‘weekday’ dinner depends on your schedule and dedication but a decent one is not fast food.

I dread to think what a 40 minute cottage pie tastes like!

It’s a mid week meal in that it’s a simple meal, requiring little thought and everyone can cook it ( to varying standards obviously).
Time wise I agree it’s not a particularly quick meal.

I buy 500gms of mince every week ( usually pork) Half becomes burgers or meatballs which are super quick. The other half becomes meat sauce which usually expands to two meals if it becomes chilli with extra beans. Zero thought and speedy for mid week. But a bit dull.

I apologise for 'despairing' but when I asked why people thought it all so difficult, I hadn't realised that 'family' on MN means children young enough for nursery tea. (So babies and toddlers)
I have 7 teens and twenties and wasn't aware that this no longer qualified as 'family supper'

On the other hand you could always knock it up when they are in bed. Put in the fridge and serve next day.

All those making sniffy 'its all fine for those with nothing else to do... I have worked full time with a hour commute each way since my first was born 24 years ago.. with basic mat leave for subsequent dcs .. so no lady of leisure here ! Just have always cooked from scratch because I enjoy it.

”I apologise for 'despairing' but when I asked why people thought it all so difficult, I hadn't realised that 'family' on MN means children young enough for nursery tea. (So babies and toddlers)” Why would you think that? It means the whole range.
I have 7 teens and twenties and wasn't aware that this no longer qualified as 'family supper'” Why do you think it doesn’t qualify? It’s just not the only variant! Mine are 12 and 9.

”All those making sniffy 'its all fine for those with nothing else to do... I have worked full time with a hour commute each way since my first was born 24 years ago.. with basic mat leave for subsequent dcs .. so no lady of leisure here !”

You are the one who couldn’t understand why people couldn’t spend an hour chopping and cooking until 7.30 while “chatting” with their DC, therefore implying that’s all you have to do. Which I assume is true if yours are teens and twenties and don’t need homework supervision, help with music practice, ferrying from sporting fixtures etc or even more supervision for even younger children.

Made it on Monday. 35 mins from start to table with veg accompaniments.

Surely it takes 35 mins just to cook.

Mince isn't made from prime cuts. They grind up the sort of beef that's usually sold as stewing steak. Just because it's minced into small pieces doesn't mean you can flash fry it. It needs long, slow cooking so the meat doesn't toughen up and it's given the chance to get acquainted with the other ingredients. As with casseroles, it's better the next day.

So, no - not a quick mid-week supper, unless all you have to do is assemble pre-cooked ingredients.

Btw, I recommend Delia's de luxe shepherd's pie. She adds a layer of sliced raw leeks on top of the mash with grated cheese on top. Lovely crunchy scorched bits poking through the melted cheese.

I've yet to find a supermarket version that beats home-made. Too much pepper in most of them to disguise the lack of flavour.

So lightning speed peeling. Boiling and mashing

Haven’t read the full thread but I have only one thing to say.
Marks and Spencer Cottage Pie
Job done
Less angst

There's no merit in giving yourself an hours job of cooking and lots of clearing up on a weekday evening if you don't enjoy it and don't feel there's time. And there's no right answer about if there is time or not......everybody's circumstances and enjoyment/willingness to be int he kitchen varies.

Families need to eat. They need decent healthy meals on a regular basis. Cottage pie can be one of them if you like it. It can be cooked for 40 mins if you can do it in that time or 3 hours if you like to take that long and it can be cooked on the day it will be eaten or in advance if you prefer - it is clearly suitable for freezing or keeping in the fridge. There are no brownie points for making the cottage pie in the day it will be eaten after school/work instead of in advance - it is the same meal.

To those who say 'of course it's a week day meal!' And 'it only takes 45 minutes' and 'you can chat to your kids whilst cooking it' - recognising that although those things might work for some people, they don't work for everyone. Likewise, to those who say 'it's definitely not a weekday meal' and 'I don't get in Until 6.30' of course not everyone is in your situation either. As always, there is no straightforward answer which applies to everyone because circumstances vary.

“There's no merit in giving yourself an hours job of cooking and lots of clearing up on a weekday evening if you don't enjoy it and don't feel there's time”

This! If you like cooking spend a couple of hours at the weekend making nice shepherd’s pie for the freezer. If you don’t, don’t. There are quicker things to make after work!

Yep im hearing you!Even if i have the time id rather be in jacuzzi/watching tv or at gym/pool or in garden..basically anything other than ball-aching away in the kitchenEVERY nightMore convenient to batch cook a shedload of tofu bolgnese,burgers,curries,veg lasagne etc late one night,maybe a large batch of scones if can b arsed..always have jumbo green leaf salad bags /ready grated cheese etc to add to anything..i also pre-cook jacket spuds in microwave ,throw it on the side as it reheats in under60seconds..healthy food doesnt need to over-occupy any 'me'time(unless its your thing)..