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?

[BertrandRussell]

How is lasagna quick and simple? The meat sauce takes at least an hour, then a good half an hour in the oven. And all those pots to wash-especially the white sauce one!

[bridgetreilly]

The whole point about cottage pie or shepherd's pie, which makes them a week-day meal, is that you are supposed to use the leftovers from your Sunday roast. This would cut out the cooking time for "raw" mince.

This. Plus it's SO much nicer. If you also do a ton of extra potatoes at the same time as your Sunday lunch, then the shepherd's pie is really quick. Stick the meat in the food processor with a couple of raw onions, worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, seasoning. Then into the dish, with the leftover potatoes mashed on top, bake for 30 minutes while you cook some veg to serve with it. Definitely doable on a weeknight after work.

[Ariela]

When mine was little, I'd do the prep, bung in the oven, do bedtime, then dish up. We ate ours, and saved a portion for her tea the next night.

[ShitAtScarbble]

Who puts tomato in cottage pie?!

God exactly! What a filthy aberration. Almost as bad as

"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."

The very idea gives me the boak!

[dreamyflower]

Cook it the night before, pop it in dish and then throw it in the oven the next day. I always prep this one in advance.

[BertrandRussell]

“You do not need to simmer mince for 50 mins. WTAF? “

You do if you want it to taste nice!

[gamerchick]

Likewise Bolognese sauce - simmered for four hours minimum pls!

Slow cooker man, does a lovely Bolognese.

[flumpybear]

I'm making it tonight!! I work full time, will be home about 6pm and dinner for around 7:15-7:30pm

No tomatoes here either! Mince, onion and garlic, stock and some bisto simmer and add some Worcestershire sauce

Boil pottties, mash with milk, buttter etc and add to top of mince, grate cheese on top and serve with veggies

[TokenGinger]

How on earth does mince take 50 mins to simmer?

I peel the potatoes, put them on to boil. In the time it takes them to boil, I've fried the mince, onion etc., added the seasonings/sauce. That takes 30 mins max.

Then bung in to the oven for 30 minutes and it's done.

[IamPickleRick]

I disagree about lasagne because it should take hardly any time and it always takes me well in to 2 hours because I mess up the white sauce and have to do it at least twice

Cottage pie is about as big standard as you can get though. My mum used to do it with a tin of beans, loads of Worcester sauce and veg. Not much simmering. We loved it!

[IamPickleRick]

Goulash, that’s another super easy one that turns out amazing... yum!

[thecatsthecats]

Doesn't come under weekday supper for me.

Leave work at 5.
Gym at 5.30 for an hour.
Showering/cat feeding/general householdy bollocks takes me up to 7.

By that point, I'm ready to eat my own arms, so go for food taking 30m tops.

[Yura]

its a weekday meal if you SAHP or work parttime (i.e. if you have loads of time on your hands).
overwise - not at all

[LoafofSellotape]

Off topic but I really don't like veg in cottage pie. I prefer big piles of veg next to it

[Moondancer73]

It's absolute is, it's yummy and not particularly long winded. Batch cook it.

[RiddleMeThis2018]

yura that’s what i’m getting. It’s a weekday meal if you
a) are home all day
b) cooked at least one part of it at the weekend
c) get home for good after you’ve picked the children up from school

[Megan2018]

Not in this house - unless it is bought!

I'm not home until 8pm most nights. Weeknight dinners are those that take 20 mins or less with no prep (eg fish and salad).

[horizontalis]

YANBU for saying it takes a long time to cook.

YABU for putting tomato in a cottage pie.

[steppemum]

For all of you who do not cook your mince for 50 minutes, can I suggest that one day, just to experiment, you try it. Even better if you cook it longer, turn down the heat, make sure there is enough water and leave is gently simmering for over an hour.

You will be surprised at how much better it tastes.

Maybe the quick lasagne people use a jar of bolognase sauce and a jar of white sauce? That would make it fast!

[MrsBailey2019]

Definitely a quick mid week meal for us. Home from work at 5.30/5.40pm, cook from scratch, eating by 6.30pm with all the trimmings IE veg, yorkies & gravy.

The only tomato that gets added to mine is a few slithers on top of a bit of cheese before going in the oven to crisp up if we fancy that on it. Wouldn't dream of putting tomatoes in the mince mix, it's gravy/oxo/marmite all the way. Tomatoes are for bolognese/chilli.

Why on earth does it take 50mins for your mince to cook & 20mins in the oven??

[Sissy79]

I know it is nicer, and when I have time, I do. I grill the mash too so it’s not 20 mins in the oven after. I simmer for about 35 mins.

[badlydrawnperson]

What on earth is "supper" ?

[Mominatrix]

70 minutes total cooking time for mince? Are you attempting to create cardboard made of pulverised meat?

YABU and overthinking (as well as way overcooking) things.

[DontCallMeShitley]

It doesn't take too long. Onions in first while chopping up carrots etc. mince next, carrots microwaved a bit then put those in along with whatever else you want to add, stock/gravy/flavourings and stir it all up.

Instant mash of some kind for the top, or microwave potatoes in skins and scrape them out and mash, or cook cut up ones in microwave and mash, or cut up really small and boil on the hob.

Cheese is not popular here so once it is assembled and still hot it is served.

Takes me the same length of time (or a few minutes longer) as a vegetarian version. If lentils are added and not tinned ones then it does take a while as they take time to cook.

[BertieBotts]

I cheat and make it with tinned carrots and peas, and Bisto.

It's nice made properly but it's quicker to cheat. Peel and chop potatoes, boil. Chop onion, soften, brown mince, add salt/pepper/stock cube. Mash potatoes. Add thick Bisto and tin of carrots and onions to meat, stir, chuck into dish (can also add gravy last), top with potato, in oven.

But yes I do class it as a "long" dish even when it's cheat version. My quick dinners are all under 20 mins.