Cottage Pie - why make your own?
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It's a classic. Call it shepherd's pie or cottage pie, the principle's the same. Make a meaty sauce; cover it in pureed veg (usually potatoes); add some grated cheese and cook in the oven until golden brown and appetising in appearance.
Not surprisingly, it's also one of the most popular microwave dishes - although that always leaves you with a soggy top! All the main UK supermarket chains market their own processed versions so here, we'll compare the nutrient quality and show what happens when you make your own, based against two examples from Sainsbury's. I don't expect the results to be very different in other countries but we will check at a later date. 1/ Sainsbury's British Classic Cottage Pie 450gm
Ingredients:
Energy 93 kcal Protein 4.1 gm Carbs 11.8 gm Fat 3.1 gm Key nutrients add up to: 19gm = 19% All info courtesy of www.sainsburys.co.uk; April 2014 Summary
This can only be described as a rather watery and low fat, high-carb meal. |
Store bought?
... or buying your own partly processed ingredients?
For reference: Nutritional Comparison to a glass of Milk
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2/ Sainsbury's Cottage Pie 'taste the difference' 400gm
Ingredients per 100gm:
Energy 150 kcal Protein 9.2 gm Carbs 11.6 gm Fat 6.9 gm Key nutrients add up to: 28gm = 28% Summary This looks a bit more like a pie I'd rather eat, with the meat proportion up from 25% to 33%. Ingredients look better too, but it's still highly processed. |
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3/ Home-made pie... nothing beats it!
The quantities here allow you to portion it up and freeze some, or if you prefer, to make one giant dish! Serves 10 - 12. This is your outline guide when customising your pie: · 33% ground beef · 33% potato (or cauliflower for low-carb version) & butter/milk · 15% for gravy + onions, carrots, garlic, · 10-15% tomatoes and tomato paste · Flavourings: thyme, bay leaf, star aniseed, Worcester sauce, salt & pepper, chicken stock · Cheese for the gratineé Recipe 1 · 800 gm mince · Mash = 800 gm potatoes (includes 100 gm butter/milk) · 240 gm onions/carrots/garlic/celery · 120 gm chicken stock (preferably home-made) · 400 gm tomatoes · 50 gm tomato paste · + cooking oil(20 ml), flavourings & cheese to taste Total weight for Recipe 1 = 2.45 kg Ingredients per 100gm: Energy 144 kcal Protein 10.1 gm Carbs 7.7 gm Fat 8.9 gm Nb: key nutrients add up to 27gm = 27% |
Less carbohydrate, more healthy fat and no additives.
Recipe 2
· 800 gm mince · Mash = 800 gm potatoes (includes 100 gm butter/milk) · 240 gm onions/carrots/garlic/celery · 360 gm chicken stock/red wine mixture · 200 gm tomato paste · + cooking oil (20 ml), flavourings & cheese to taste Total weight for Recipe 2 = 2.42 kg Ingredients per 100gm: Energy 144 kcal Protein 10.1 gm Carbs 8.6 gm Fat 9.1 gm Nb: key nutrients add up to28gm = 28% |
Customise your pie.
All the details to help you modify your choice of ingredients
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Recipe 1: Ingredients per 100gm (more tomatoes) Energy 144 kcal Protein 10.1 gm Carbs 7.7 gm Fat 8.9 gm Key nutrients add up to 27gm = 27% Recipe 2: Ingredients per 100gm (more tomato paste) Energy 147 kcal Protein 10.1 gm Carbs 8.6 gm Fat 9.1 gm Key nutrients add up to 28gm = 28% Considering a lower-carb version? ... bring on the cauliflower. Recipe 3: Ingredients per 100gm Energy 136 kcal Protein 10.0 gm Carbs 5.3 gm Fat 8.9 gm Key nutrients add up to 24gm = 24% |
Depending how much cheese you use on the gratin-like top, you will add to the fat and protein content.
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Going low-carb?
If anything; mixing pureed, cooked cauliflower with the potatoes in equal quantities makes it taste even better. Go all the way with a cauliflower puree topped with cheese if you want to really push down those carbs. And although cauliflower provides the lowest carb version, also consider sweet potato mash or even a blend of potatoes and pureed celeriac - my particular favourite. |
Home economies?
Stretch the quantities by adding more tomatoes. Buying the larger tins or looking for bundled 3-pack offers of standard tins really helps make the economics work. And cook in bulk before pre-portioning and freezing for your future faster-food needs. All nutrition facts courtesy of: http://nutritiondata.self.com/ |