Easy Mince And Tatties Recipe!

One of my favourite family meals is mince and tatties! I grew up with my grandparents cooking it at least once a week and this warm, comforting and hearty Scottish meal is now one of my favourite recipes to make in my own home.

And ok, I appreciate that it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing food but you can’t go wrong with this easy but filling dish and it can cost as little as £2 per head, which is especially helpful when cooking on a budget!

I think that it’s of great benefit and knowledge to know how to make beef mince and recipes with mince are versatile for many meals. Whether used as a base for a cottage pie, mince and potatoes or a Bolognese sauce, this easy mince recipe can be used for all with some minor changes and additions.

Of course, if you are on a meat-free diet then you can always change the beef mince for a vegetarian mince alternative.

So, if you are looking for tips on how to make tasty mince, then keep reading below for my easy mince and tatties recipe!

Overview

Serves: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 70 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients for Mince and Tatties

• 400g steak mince
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 medium-sized carrots, chopped and diced
• 1/2 small turnip/swede, chopped and diced
• 2 tbsp gravy granules
• Salt and black pepper
• 4-6 Large potatoes

I don’t consider the below options to be entirely necessary or traditional in a mince and tatties recipe but it’s always nice to have options! So feel free to chop and change any of the veg to your liking, or have some fun playing with added flavours to make this dish your own!

Optional:

• 1 stick celery
• 1 tin of peas
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Beef stock

Mince Instructions

1. Peel, chop and dice your onion, carrots and turnip/swede.
2. Place your pan over medium heat and add the minced beef.Keep stirring until all of the meat has browned and is not sticking to the pan.
3. Add the chopped onion, carrots and swede to the pan and stir until well mixed with the mince.Optional – Add celery, peas or any other kind of veg that you would prefer.
4. Cover your mix with hot water.Optional – Alternatively, if you would prefer to use 500ml beef stock then this can be added now.Do not be tempted to add too much water, you want the water to sit just above your mix.
5. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to a minimum and leave to simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the time is up, add one heaped tablespoon of gravy granules to the mix, stir for 1-2 minutes to thicken and then taste.Add salt, pepper or more gravy granules to suit your personal taste/thickness.Optional – If you choose to add some Worcestershire sauce, this can be done now.

When it comes to potatoes, I think that everyone has a personal preference.

So, whether you choose to opt for a buttery mash, some simple boiled potatoes to smash yourself or skin on crushed potatoes as I have in this recipe, it is entirely your choice and while I never change my method of making mince, I do frequently change how I opt to have my potatoes.

For this recipe, I chose to use red King Edward potatoes.

Potato Instructions

1. Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to the boil.It is important to use cold water and not boiling when doing this as boiling water tends to cook the outside of the potato faster than the inside, leaving the texture uneven.
2. Cut 4-6 potatoes in half and place in the pan of boiling water.For this recipe, I left the skin on for added texture and nutrients.
3. Boil for approximately 20 minutes.Use a clean knife to pierce the potato, when the potato is close to or does slip off the knife, I would consider these to be ready.
4. Drain potatoes immediately and leave in the pan with the lid on for a couple of minutes.Potatoes retain heat quite well but by leaving the lid on, you can dry any residual water from draining.
5. Finally, mash your potatoes.At this stage, I like to add a little milk and butter but make sure that these are at room temperature as they can cool the potatoes if taken and used straight from the fridge.You may also want to add a little salt and pepper for seasoning.

   Be careful not to over mash as you want to retain that rustic texture.

Make sure to serve your mince and tatties piping hot and enjoy!

Something I remember doing when growing up and something many families do now is to use some bread to soak up the leftover gravy.

Let nothing go to waste in this hearty family meal as any leftovers can be frozen!

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