Admit it, when you think of Aunt Bessie's, you think of Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes, right ? Well, after reading on the Britmums blog about their #HalfTermFood Linky Challenge, I learnt that Aunt Bessie's have a much wider range of products that I ever would have believed. More than seventy different products in fact, with everything from vegetable mixes, such as Red Cabbage with Bramley Apple or Sprouts, Chestnuts & Red Onion, to Great British Puddings, including Apple Crumble, Spotted Dick and Jam Roly Poly, or even Cake Mixes for everything from Carrot Cake to Rice Pudding.
With that lot to choose from, taking part in the #HalfTermFood Linky Challenge is an absolute breeze. You could cook up a really impressive three course meal with Aunt Bessie's products (they even have potatoes basted in duck fat - very Nigella !) or get the kids involved in all sorts of home baking projects, but for the challenge, Britmums are looking for ease of preparation, healthiness, family-friendliness, preparation time and originality. OK, time to keep things simple then. Here's what I'd cook up - an adaptation of a couple of family faves that use Aunt Bessie's products as cheaty short cuts while maintaining the "cooked from scratch" feel that always makes us mums feel virtuous !
Main course : Shepherd's Lasagne-Pie !
Shepherd's Pie and Lasagne are both high on the list of the Madhouse family's fave recipes, so I thought it would be fun to combine the two. Cook up some minced beef with onions and mushrooms and add either a little beef stock or a tin of tomatoes (depending on your family's tastes and whether you want to lean more towards lasagne or shepherd's pie !). In an ovenproof dish, alternate layers of the mince and Aunt Bessies Perfectly Mashed Carrot & Swede, then top with a final layer of Aunt Bessie's Homestyle Mashed Potato. Sprinkle with a little grated cheese and put in the oven until cooked through and piping hot.
Dessert : Upside-Down Peach Cobbler
Take an Aunt Bessie's Tasty Giant Yorkshire. Fill with sliced peaches (fresh are best in summer but tinned will do in winter or if it's all you have). Sprinkle with crunchy Demerera sugar if using fresh peaches (but not tinned - they're sweet enough) and, if you want to jazz things up, a handful of blueberries or nuts (such as pecans or flaked almonds). Bake in the oven until the peaches have gone soft and the juice has oozed out and serve immediately, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
If you'd like to join in with Aunt Bessie's #HalfTermFood Linky Challenge, head over to : http://www.britmumsblog.com/2012/10/join-the-aunt-bessies-halftermfood-linky-challenge/
Disclosure : This is my entry for the #HalfTermFood Linky Challenge, where five winners will win a £200 Tesco voucher and every entrant will get a voucher for an Aunt Bessie's product.
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Loving that mix of 2 family favourities in your main and how you use two forms of Aunt Bessies mash. Your Yorkshire pudding as dessert reminds me of my late Mum who always said they had it that was as children.
ReplyDeleteI will certainly be incorporating a lot of the Aunt Bessies products in my Christmas menus this year.
Ooh defintely, any timesavers on Christmas morning are more than welcome, so that I don't miss out on the kids opening their presents :)
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