Vegetable Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Mash {recipe}

I don't normally post recipes very often, and I certainly don't normally post them twice in a row...but I couldn't resist sharing tonight's dinner with you straight away - it was so delicious! Normal service will resume tomorrow for those of you more interested in my random ramblings...!!

Vegetable Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Mash
(serves 6)
This is based on my other lentil cottage pie recipe, but I think this version is much much better! :-)

• 700g white potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 450g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 leeks, sliced into thin rounds
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• oil, to cook
• 2 veg oxo cubes
• 1-2 tins of green lentils, drained (I used 1 tin this time but would use 2 next time to make more of the vegetable filling - up to you how you like your layer ratios)
• 100ml milk
• 20g butter
• approx 80g cheese, optional

1. Put the white and sweet potatoes in a large pan. Add boiling water and boil/simmer for 25 minutes until cooked.
2. Gently fry the leeks in oil for a couple of minutes until starting to soften.
3. Add the carrots and fry for a few more minutes.

4. Crumble the oxo cubes over the vegetables and add boiling water to not quite cover the veg.
5. Put a lid on the pan and simmer whilst the potatoes are cooking.
6. Just before the potatoes are ready, add the drained lentils to the vegetable mix.
7. Drain potatoes and mash with milk and/or butter until creamy and smooth.
8. Once the potatoes are mashed, check that the carrots are cooked. If not, continue to simmer for a few more minutes. If they are, then it's time to start assembling your cottage pie.

I was making some extra portions so I made some in my normal 4 portion dish, plus two extra portions in foil trays.

Vegetables first...

Then the mash...

And finally the cheese, which Toby especially liked the look of!

If you're making extra portions to cook at a later date, don't add the cheese until after the food has cooled. I learnt that the hard way when making lasagne yesterday - melted oily cheese = not so attractive!!

9. Cook the cottage pie for 25 minutes in an oven at 180C until the cheese is golden brown. If you are cooking from cold it may need slightly longer - my filling and potatoes were still warm when I put them in the oven.

10. Enjoy! I loved this, it had so much flavour from the leeks and sweet potatoes. I've made pies before with all sweet potatoes for the mash topping, but I found that a bit overpowering. The mix of white and sweet potatoes worked much better.

Delicious! I went back for seconds after this, as did Izzy. Poor Liam didn't get a look-in on the leftovers, but then he had a bigger portion to start with so I don't feel too guilty!!

What are your favourite types of meals to make when you want to produce extra portions for the freezer? Favourite comfort food? I would definitely describe this as comfort food, perfect for the chilly weather of late! I've been making some extra portions this week to help out my not-quite-stepsister who has just had a baby. Yesterday I made my roast vegetable lasagne, today this, and tomorrow, thanks to Maria's recommendation, I'm planning to make Oh She Glow's Mexican Casserole, but with quinoa instead of pasta. It looks fantastic so I hope it lives up to my expectations! :)