Sausage & Mash Hot Pot (or Shepherds Pie)

Total prep and cook time: approximately 1 hour

The concept is a sausage stew with a covering of mash. By definition (almost) a hot pot is finished off in the oven, but before we get to that there are two key parts to prepare.

What we had in our fridge:

Preheat your over to 190/200C before you get started.

Part 1: The Mash
We had new potatoes lying around, but any potatoes will do. I think new potatoes make awesome mash as you can leave the skin on and gives it great texture. Also, there is no peeling involved...awesome x2.

Step 1: Boil the kettle.

Step 2: Wash the spuds (potatoes).

Step 3: Cut each spud in half.

Step 4: Sling spuds & water in a sauce pan (plus some salt) and boil for 20-25 minutes.

Step 5: When you are able to stab the spuds easily with a knife, drain the water and mash 'em all up with butter and milk or cream (remembering the obligatory taste test - shove your finger in and try it out happily. However, obviously this is your prerogative as chef...I'm known to swat my flatmate's hand away as she tries to taste).

Part 2: The Stew
Using a cast iron dish that works on the hob as well as in the oven. If you don't have one, get one, they are great...or raid your grandmother's kitchen like I did.

Step 1: Whack in your onion bits and some garlic with some oil to brown.

Step 2: Cut your sausages into meatball style chunks and chuck 'em in (we had three sausages).

Step 3:  Season at this point so the meat picks up the flavour.

Step 4: Rough cut some vegetables, I added sweet potato, but ideally you'll have something else because you may have noticed we're getting a potato element from Part 1.

Step 5: We had some chorizo - so obviously that goes in...just smell it as it cooks!! Oh yeah!!

Step 6: Add tomato sauce (we had some pasta style sauce which it nice & rich tasting).

Part 3: The Combination

Step 1: Add the mash generously on top of the stewed mix.

Step 2: Put the lot in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Step 3: Serve up on plates.

Step 4: Garnish with some green herbs (we had coriander) this is mainly for effect, it's certainly not essential.

Step 5: Eat, enjoy and have your fill!

Flatmate's Verdict?  The flavours were rich and a bit smoky. I did suggest after the fact, that adding some grated cheese to the top of the mash would be amazing, but that's just me and I am in love with cheese.  I devoured 2 platefuls and while my taste buds were very happy, my waistline not so much. It was deliciously tasty...after I picked out the onions of course.