This is a hearty recipe that is brilliant for batch cooking and freezing. As it can be served with staples like red cabbage and pickled beetroot, when cooking from frozen, your meal prep is as simple as reheating and serving. Nothing extra needed at all!

There are two variations of this recipe, stovetop and instant pot. Both are straightforward. Both require mash cooking separately and finishing in the oven although I believe you can get inserts to use in the instant pot to cook two things at once.

Serves 4

30 minutes prep

25 minutes cooking

Total 55 minutes

Suitable for freezing

Instant pot recipe

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1x400g can chopped tomatoes

1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed

2 cups stock

1 stalk celery, sliced

3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 bay leaves

1 tsp mixed herbs

Dash of non dairy milk

Seasoning to taste

Serve with pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot

Method

1. Use sauté mode (or a pan) and sauté onion and garlic until softened.

2. Add the carrot and celery and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and lentils and stir well.

4. Cancel sauté mode, replace lid, set to sealing and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. I allowed NPR whilst I cooked and mashed the potatoes.

5. Boil potatoes for around 15 minutes until soft enough to mash.

6. Mash the potatoes (I used a potato ricer for really smooth mash) and stir in the whole grain mustard. Add a dash of non dairy milk to loosen the mixture as you wish. Season according to taste.

7. When the filling has cooked, stir in the frozen peas.

8. Assemble the cottage pie by putting the filling into a deep/casserole dish and spoon the mash on top. Use a fork or spoon to make a pattern in the mash if you like.

9. Cook for around 25 minutes until the mash is starting to brown.

10. Serve with red cabbage and pickled onion

Stove top recipe

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1x400g can chopped tomatoes

1 can green lentils, rinsed and drained

1 cups stock

1 stalk celery, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp mixed herbs

3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

Dash of non dairy milk

Seasoning to taste

Serve with pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot

Method

1. Sauté onion and garlic until softened.

2. Add the carrot and celery and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, herbs and lentils and stir well.

4. Bring to the boil and reduce to a low simmer whilst you cook the mash, stirring occasionally.

5. Boil potatoes for around 15 minutes until soft enough to mash.

6. Mash the potatoes (I used a potato ricer for really smooth mash) and stir in the whole grain mustard. Add a dash of non dairy milk to loosen the mixture as you wish. Season according to taste. Put to one side.

7. When the filling has cooked, stir in the frozen peas.

8. Assemble the cottage pie by putting the filling into a deep/casserole dish and spoon the mash on top. Use a fork or spoon to make a pattern in the mash if you like.

9. Cook for around 25 minutes until the mash is starting to brown.

10. Serve with red cabbage and pickled onion