Madhouse recipe : Cheesy Tomato Topped Mince

Mince is one of those things that I always have in the freezer because it's so versatile. I use it in all sorts of things - spaghetti bolognese, chilli, lasagne, mince & onion pie, tacos, cottage pie, ... In fact, when I pulled it out of the freezer, I was planning on making cottage pie, but as it was hot, I went for a lighter version, replacing the mashed potato topping with sliced tomatoes covered in cheese. It worked really well and even got the kids gobbling up "hot tomatoes" - they love cold ones but often turn their noses up at hot ones, if they're fresh rather than tinned ! This is a great recipe that you can tweak to incorporate whatever needs using up in the fridge too.

Cheesy Tomato Topped Mince

ingredients :

a drizzle of olive oil

1 pack minced beef (or turkey or quorn or whatever you prefer)

1 onion

1/2 red pepper

a few mushrooms

1 beef stock cube (or gravy granules)

salt, pepper, a dash of worcester sauce

any other veg you want to throw in - I had some leftover peas and carrots

3 tomatoes

dried breadcrumbs

grated cheese

Heat the oil and gently fry the onion and peppers.

Add the minced beef and mushrooms and fry until the beef is totally browned.

Add a little water and some gravy granules or a stock cube.

Throw in any other cooked veg you want to use up. Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish and lay over slices of fresh tomatoes.

Scatter over a couple of handfuls of dried breadcrumbs and top with grated cheese. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes at 180° until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are soft.

Serve on its own or with rice or mash on the side.

Adding to this month's #KitchenClearout linky.