Quick mix shepherd's pie

Ingredients

500 g beef mince

50 g pkt Shepherd's pie recipe base

1.5 cups water

2 cups mixed frozen vegetables

mashed potato (4 lge potatoes)

Place mince in a bowl and mix in a little oil. Heat a large frypan until moderately hot, crumble in the mince. Brown the mince, breaking up any lumps with a fork.
Stir in the Shepherd's pie recipe base, water and mixed vegetables Reduce heat, cover and simmer the beef mixture for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Spoon the beef mixture into a shallow baking dish. Spoon the mash over the beef, spread it out, and rough the mash up a little with a fork. Cook uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly hot.

You'll need to cook and mash about 1kg potatoes to top the pie with. You can use leftover mash and add other mashed vegies to it. Favourites include mashed potato and pumpkin or a combination of mashed potato and sweet potato. Adding a little cream or butter to the mash makes it extra yummy. As does grated cheese like tasty cheese or pizza cheese.
Freeze mince you don't intend to use. Uncooked mince can be frozen for 2-3 months. Rather than freezing loose mince in roundish shape as bought from the butcher lay it out flat to freeze. This is important as it allows the mince to freeze evenly and it allows the mince to thaw evenly. Cooked mince dishes can also be frozen for later use.
Thaw frozen mince (and any meat) in the fridge, on the lowest shelf below and or away from any ready to eat food. And only thaw in the microwave if using the mince immediately thereafter.