Growing up in England, Shepherd's Pie is ingrained in you - that and cottage pie. There's the confusion to which one is which, and the only difference is the meat. Shepherd's tend to sheep so it is made with lamb mince rather than beef.
For me, shepherd's/cottage pie is ultimate comfort food and especially as the weather gets colder. This meal is a real comfort as I think it was one of the first meals my mum allowed my sister and I to make on our own - so it conjures up happy memories of being in the kitchen together!
What Katie Ate Next's recipe is called shepherd's pie but gives you the option to choose lamb or beef for the meat filling. I went with beef as I'm not really a lamb fan. I found a similar recipe here.
Yay or Nay: Yay
A little more effort than my version but tastier! I can't say that I tasted the garlic and cheese in the mash, but sprinkled on top was a nice addition. The recipe for the filling was lengthy but the filling had a rich, ragu-like taste that was definitely moreish!
Summer is officially here! The sun is out and everyone is thinking about BBQ-ing/ grilling/ cooking out/ having a braai! The best thing about whacking things on the grill is that you don't have to spend hours slaving over a stove and you can ask the other half to do it for you!! Thinking of a side dish is probably the trickiest thing for me, I usually want something healthy to counteract the unknown meat in hot dogs! In the States, it's all about adding crisps/chips and corn, and baked beans! However, baked beans here are NOT like Heinz Baked Beans of my youth! I knew I had to make my own, and where else could I look but Jamie Oliver! I got the recipe for Baked Beans from his Comfort Food cookbook but I found a similar one online.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I warn you, this is not a quick throw-everything-in-a-pan kind of dish. It is low and slow, at least at the beginning, and actually at the end too! But it is worth it - I think one bird-'s eye chili was enough as you could definitely taste the heat. Also make sure to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes as I didn't and I definitely felt the tomato pang!
