Cottage Pie

Well sadly fire restrictions are putting an end to a lot of our camp oven cooking but luckily while at Murchison House Station we got a few more days in. So here is a very yummy cottage pie. Great on a cold night. 

Cottage Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

- 1 tablespoon of oil 

- 800g of beef mince

- 1 onion chopped

- 1 carrot chopped

- 1/2 a zucchini chopped

- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon of curry powder

- 1 teaspoon of all purpose seasoning

- 3 tablespoons of gravy powder

- 1 beef stock cube

- 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 

- water

- 3/4 cup of frozen peas & corn

- dehydrated potato, prepared according to packet directions

- 1 cup of grated cheese

- salt & pepper to taste

Directions

- preheat a pot or frying pan over the campfire

- heat a tablespoon of oil & add the vegetables to fry off

- once softened l, add in the beef mince & fry until browned

- add the spices & stock cube & fry off for 2 minutes stirring well

- add the sauce & gravy powder & enough water to almost cover the meat

- bring to the boil & simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often. 

- when almost ready add the frozen peas & corn to the mince mixture & also prepare your dehydrated potato according to packet directions, you need enough to cover the top of the pie 

- also preheat your camp oven & dig a hole to put it in if you are somewhere that is windy. 

- remove your meat mix from the heat & carefully pour into a baking dish (I used a cake tin, you could also use a disposable foil tray)

- spread the meat mix until it is in an even layer 

- top with spoons of the potato mixture

- finally top with the grated cheese

- place into the preheated camp oven

- use 2 shovels of coals on the bottom, place the oven on top & a further 2 shovels of coals on the top of the camp oven

- bake for about 30 minutes until cheese is browned & everything heated through

- remove from camp oven & serve

Of course you can use real mashed potatoes for the topping, we had none left & the dehydrated potato is a good camping option. You can also add in any other veggies you like, sweet potato or pumpkin would work as well. We had ours just as it is, but you could serve it with extra veggies, a bread roll or slice of bread & a squirt of tomato sauce. 

I can also say the left overs were delicious made into savoury mince & cheese toasties!!