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?

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

I'm none of those things. Work full time, don't batch cook.

People are joking when they say that Nigella invented “supper” aren’t they? Please tell me they are.......

How can you cook and eat a nice cottage pie in 40 minutes? It takes about half an hour in the oven! 5 minutes to peel the potatoes and bring the water to the boil, at least 15 probably 20 mins boiling so they are soft enough to mash. Meanwhile chop onions, peel and chop carrots etc, cook and add mince. 5 minutes to mash potatoes. Could probably use the mince now but not really cooked for long enough so probably need to simmer for another 10 minutes. 5 minutes to assemble and dot with butter etc. 25-30 mins in oven. 5 minutes to serve. 5 minutes to eat when it's cool enough.

I have a weird competition with myself about making making a component of todays meal be part of tomorrow's
e.g Lasagne on Monday make masses of sauce
for eggs in cheese sauce with Mash and broccoli on Tues - make loads of mash.
Mash already done for shepherds pie on Wednesday - make loads of mince.
etc etc. It makes me happy! I lead a sheltered life!

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

It is in my house, and I have no patience and the attention span of a gnat.

People are joking when they say that Nigella invented “supper” aren’t they? Please tell me they are.......
Oh hopefully. I was just being polite.

You CAN make these things quickly, but anything with mince for me needs to simmer for ages as it makes it so much nicer. My bolognese takes about 2-3 hours. Which is why I cook 20-30 portions at once....

Slow cooking fo of sinewy meats (which mince is usually made from) benefits texture more than flavour. I make a ragu Bolognese in the traditional manner and my sauce is cooked sub-simmer temperature for 4-5 hours. The result is a silky texture instead of the nubbly one of English Bolognese Sauce. 50 minutes is too short to get this texture and simmering is too high a temp to allow the cartilage in the meat to soften without contracting.

For a cottage pie, the smooth, soft texture which results from slow and low cooking is completely unnecessary and a short cooking just to take the red out and to finish in the oven is all that is needed.

Just depends on your scheduke and how much time you have.
I am always baffled how macaroni cheese/ pasta bakes are 'quick easy meals'
Prepare ingredients - usual chopping etc (+ cook veg to hide in it)
white sauce/ whatever sauce (1 pan)
cook pasta (2nd pan)
put together everything
bake - at least 30mins
= takes me an hour including all clearing/washing up.
Not possible if home after work at 6-7pm, but can if home at 4.30-5 after school pickup

@MrsBailey2019 I'm just jealous I'd never thought of it

Not a week day meal for us here or lasagne. Stuffed cannelloni on the other hand I can do in 15 mins prep ( as long as I use creme fraiche instead of white sauce and I have a tomato sauce ready. 25 mins of I need to make the sauce).

It does take about 30 mins to.cool though

“I have a weird competition with myself about making making a component of todays meal be part of tomorrow's ”
I like doing this too! I made fish cakes yesterday but did enough potato for sausages as mash tonight. And i’ll do enough sausages tonight for a sausage and pasta thing later in the week....

Cook not cool!

20-30 portions? What do you cook it in?

Certainly not a weeknight meal unless you're at home all day. It's easy enough of you're around the house anyway, but if you're getting in at 7 like we do you don't want to start something like that.

cottage pie = bol with potato topping in our house

I could not make this in the week either unless we ate it at 9pm

Macaroni cheese takes 25 mins max to prepare if I use easy to cook veg ( though I usually prepare roasted butternut squash to add to it the day before) . Then it goes under the grill for 10 mins . That includes.making the cheese sauce from scratch

You CAN make these things quickly, but anything with mince for me needs to simmer for ages as it makes it so much nicer. My bolognese takes about 2-3 hours. Which is why I cook 20-30 portions at once....

It's the Mumsnet Spag Bol!

@DatsunCogs
Can't beat a bowl of yorkies & gravy & if you can be bothered oxo roast potatoes. Proper Yorkshire food. God i'm starving now, my salad is calling

I'm sorry but I really can't see how it is possible to cook a nice cottage/ shepherds pie from scratch in 40 minutes.

Plus its loads more washing up than I can deal with mid week.

I do the mince in the instant pot and use bought mash. I can fit that in around activity runs and everything. I still batch cook it though!

I only like shepherd's pie with Italian Ragu/ Bolognese sauce instead of the more English CV way of cooking mince anyway though I believe it is heresy here

What's this about tomatoes?

Quorn mince is your friend.

I hate peeling, chopping, boiling and mashing spuds.

I agree. I think to be done well it takes much longer than the 35 mins some people are talking about. It's not hugely labour intensive, but you do need to start it ahead of time. So for me it is a weekend family dinner, or possibly a cook ahead dinner. It's not fancy.

But then I get home from work at 6. Would be different if I was home at 4 like some people!