Lentil cottage pie with mixed vegetables

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A budget family dinner for four using the exact quantities in the MynRecipes dinner plans.

Makes: 4 portions · Estimated time: 60–70 minutes · Equipment: Oven + hob. Adjust for household appetites.

Cooking times are estimates; check doneness and follow packet instructions.

Ingredients for four

Rice, pasta and lentils are weighed dry. Canned beans, chickpeas and tuna use drained weights. Fresh vegetables use prepared weights.

  • 250 g Dry red split lentils
  • 1000 g Potatoes, prepared usable weight
  • 150 g Onions, peeled
  • 200 g Carrots, trimmed
  • 300 g Frozen mixed vegetables
  • 400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes with juice
  • 15 ml Sunflower oil
  • 1 cube Vegetable stock cubes
  • 200 ml water for filling; reserved potato cooking water for mash

How to make it

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Cook the lentils in water according to the packet and drain.
  2. Cut prepared potatoes into even pieces. Boil for about 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain, reserving some cooking water, and mash with enough of that water to make a spreadable topping.
  3. Dice onion and carrot. Soften in oil for 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock cube and 200 ml water; simmer until the carrot is tender. Add mixed vegetables and cook according to their packet, then stir in the cooked lentils.
  4. Put the hot filling in a suitable ovenproof dish, top with mash and bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling and steaming hot throughout. Divide into four.

Shopping and the dinner plan

These quantities match our budget-plan shopping lists. Whole-pack prices, sources, date and the fresh-vegetable yield allowance are shown in the linked plans. Optional extras, substitutions and serving changes need a new cost calculation.

Allergens and storage

Check every product label, including stock and spice mixes. Depending on the recipe and products, allergens can include wheat/gluten, milk, celery, fish or eggs. This recipe has not been screened for allergies.

Follow the Food Standards Agency guidance: cool ordinary cooked leftovers and refrigerate within two hours; eat within 48 hours or freeze. Cool cooked rice quickly, ideally within one hour, refrigerate for no more than 24 hours before reheating, and reheat once until steaming hot.

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