COMFORT FOOD: Chili, mashed potatoes and a sprinkling of cheese makes a quick and satisfying family meal. (Kathryn Shakespear)
Chili beans and ground beef potato top pie is a nice easy recipe for the whole family. There’s no pastry in the recipe, and if the beef fat is drained from the pan after it’s cooked, it’s a lower-fat option.
Usually when I make a traditional ground beef pastry pie, I use a gravy mix to make it nice and saucy, but with this recipe the beans provide the sauce in which to simmer the meat. It’s a carbs hit that will certainly fill you up!
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and washed10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
500 g (1 lb) prime ground beef
15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato sauce
1 can 398 ml (14-oz) mild chili beans with sauce
50 ml (1/4 cup) milk
125 ml (1/2 cup) cheese, grated
Direction:
Fill a medium sized pot with hot water and bring to a boil. Heat oven to 180º C (350º F) on bake. Peel and wash potatoes, cut into quarters, and put them into the pot of boiling water. Cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the ground beef, breaking it up to make sure it’s separated. Once the beef is cooked, add tomato sauce and can of chili beans. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer.
By this time, the potatoes should be cooked. Drain and mash the potatoes. Add the milk and continue mashing until potatoes are smooth and creamy.
Put the cooked ground beef in a 30-cm (12-inch) pie dish and pat down. Place the mashed potatoes on top, and smooth over with a spoon. Place grated cheese on top, and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Kathryn Shakespear lives and writes in New Zealand.
