Easy Beef Pie with Potato Topping

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• Olive oil, for cooking
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh or dried thyme
• 500g (approx. 1 lb) beef mince/ground beef
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 500ml (approx. 2 cups) beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

1. 1Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the onion and celery, grate the carrot, zucchini, and garlic.
2. 2In a wide, deep oven-safe pan or cast iron skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, zucchini, celery, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of thyme.
3. 3Add the beef mince to the pan with the softened vegetables. Break it up with a spoon and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes.
4. 4Stir in the tomato paste and flour, cooking for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine vinegar, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
5. 5While the beef filling simmers, peel and thinly slice the potatoes. These should be sliced very thinly using a knife, box grater, or mandoline.
6. 6Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes in an overlapping pattern over the beef mixture in the pan, covering the entire surface.
7. 7Drizzle the layered potatoes with melted butter and season lightly with salt.
8. 8Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven (approx. 180°C/350°F) for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
9. 9Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
10. 10Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh thyme (optional), and serve immediately.