Has dinner got you beat? Are you running out of ideas on what to cook? Is your family picky when it comes to food?
I’ve got you covered!
My Lower-carb Cottage Pie recipe is a must-try. It’s perfect for the whole family, not just those of us with diabetes.
Jam-packed with goodness, this recipe is full of low-carb veg like celery and zucchini, is high in protein and uses lower-carb potatoes.
There are a couple of brands of lower carb potatoes on the market including SpudLite and Carisma. To find out more about these, check out my earlier post Digging up the Facts on Lower Carb Potatoes.
Beans are another great way to add bulk to a dish because they are high in protein so they’ll leave you fuller for longer. I like to use butter beans in this recipe, but you can also try soy beans or cannellini beans.
Lean pork mince is the star of this dish. I like to use pork instead of beef, as it’s a bit lower in fat. I also find for me, it doesn’t impact my Blood Sugar Levels (BGL) as much as beef (I normally give myself an extra 1 unit of short acting insulin for about 40 grams of beef).
Research now suggests that people with insulin-dependant diabetes should also account for fat and protein when calculating insulin dose, not just carbohydrate. To find out more, here is my earlier post Impact of Fat and Protein on BGL.
But everyone is different, so if you’re not used to counting fat and protein, speak with your doctor.
This recipe is a meal in itself – it’s basically meat and three veg … well four veg … it will fill you right up and the whole family will love it!
Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tin butter beans (small tin)
- 100 g lean pork mince
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 4 sticks celery
- 3 lower carb potatoes (You can use either Carisma or Spud Lite)
- 1 tin diced tomatoes (small tin)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (heaped)
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tbsp French mustard
- 1 tbsp garlic oil (for frying meat)
- 1/4 cup full cream milk
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated cheese (Tasty or cheddar)
- water (to boil potatoes)
Instructions
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To prep the vegetables, wash and peel the carrot and dice. Wash the celery and remove the leaves and end before dicing. Wash the zucchini and dice. Place into a bowl and set aside.
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Open the tin of butter beans and drain. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
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MASHED POTATOES: Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into large cubes. Add water to a pot until approximately 3/4 full and salt to taste and bring to boil on the stove. Add the potatoes and simmer on a medium heat for approximately half an hour or until soft (test with a fork). While the potatoes are cooking, you can start preparing the meat and vegetable filling (see method below). Once the potatoes are cooked, turn off the heat, drain an discard the water. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher, add the olive oil and milk and continue mashing until soft and smooth in texture. Set aside.
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MEAT: Add the garlic oil to a pot on the stove and turn to medium/high heat. Add the minced pork and brown for a few minutes, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the salt, pepper, tomato paste and oregano and mix well.
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VEGETABLES: Add the vegetables, red wine, worcestershire sauce and French mustard and mix well. Cook on medium/low heat with lid off for approximately half an hour. Add the butter beans at the very end.
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Add the meat and vegetable mixture into a square baking dish (approximately 24 cm W x 24 cm L x 7 cm D) and even out with the back of a spoon. Dollop over the mashed potato using a teaspoon. Sprinkle over the cheese and place the dish in the oven. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Place an oven tray with foil underneath on the next row to catch any overflow depending on the size of your baking dish. Once cooked, remove from oven and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the juices to congeal slightly.
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Cut the pie into six even pieces and serve. I like to eat my Cottage pie with some steamed vegetables or a salad, but this is optional.
Recipe Notes
Cottage pie
