Fuel My Friday: Cutmore's Cottage Pie

4 Dec 2020

December is upon us, so what could be better for a #FuelMyFriday option than this hearty cottage pie recipe from 2018 European Junior 10m Platform champion Ben Cutmore?

Ben began 2020 by winning two medals at the British Diving Championships in Plymouth, winning the Men's 10m Synchro title alongside Lucas Thomson before taking bronze in the individual event. 

He is now ending the year in training alongside his Dive London teammates, with eyes firmly fixed on the new season and what may be in 2021. 

It's over to Ben (and his mum!) for this week's Fuel My Friday meal, an ideal choice after a winter's evening training session...

My Fuel My Friday selection is my mum's cottage pie recipe. I love it because it's easy to cook, with only a couple of pans needed for cooking - so it's quick to wash up as well!

It's always nice to have after a difficult day because it's warm, filling and has a good nutritional value to help recovery too.

Ingredients

  • 500g lean beef steak mince
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 6 mushrooms, diced
  • 1 rich beef stock pot
  • 3/4 pint gravy (quite runny)
  • 2 tbsps tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 6 mashing potatoes
  • Knob of butter
  • Salt and pepper, for seasoning
  • Grated cheese for on top, optional

Lucas Thomson Ben Cutmore BDC 2020
Ben Cutmore (right) with synchro partner Lucas Thomson

Method

  1. Peel the potatoes and chop them into chunks. Put them into a pan of boiling water to soften - and while they bubble, prepare the mince base.
  2. Brown the mince in a frying pan on the hob. Once brown, add the diced mushrooms and onion and cook for a few more minutes. 
  3. Add the tomato puree, stock pot, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder to the mince mixture, give it all a good stir to mix it in and then pour in the gravy and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. The potatoes should be soft when ready. Drain off the water and mash them with a knob of butter and some salt and pepper.
  5. Spoon your mince beef base into an ovenproof dish, then top it off with the mash and spread out evenly. Cover with grated cheese (optional) and then pop into an oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes, until it is crisp and golden on top and cooked through. Serve with peas and enjoy!

Head over to the British Swimming Health Hub section for plenty more Fuel My Friday inspiration!