Minced Beef Hotpot with Beetroot

Wondering what to have for dinner tonight? Try my minced beef hotpot with a layer of beetroot hiding underneath the lovely crispy potato top.

The top layer of potatoes ends up being nice and crispy, while the potatoes underneath have soaked up the lovely juices from below.

Did you know?

Beetroot is packed with essential nutrients and is a great source of fibre, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.

Beetroots and beetroot juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.

First cultivated by the Romans and by the 19th-century it held great commercial value when it was discovered that beets could be converted into sugar.

Beetroot belongs to the same family as chard and spinach, both the leaves and root can be eaten; the leaves have a bitter taste whereas the round root is sweet. Due to its high sugar content, beetroot is delicious eaten raw but is more typically cooked or pickled.

Anyway, on with the recipe. Making it up as I went along and having some cooked beetroot in the fridge, I thought what a marvellous idea it would be to add beetroot to my hotpot. Well, it worked and I'll be making this again!

You really do need a mandolin slicer to make this dish work. Don't underestimate how long potatoes take to cook this way unless they are wafer-thin. A mandolin slicer comes in handy so many times in the kitchen, so if you haven't got one be buying one this very day!

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F or Gas 4 and meanwhile, slice the beetroot and layer over the top of the minced beef mixture.

Now, give the mandolin a clean and slice the potatoes. Layer the potatoes over the top of the beetroot, carefully seasoning as you go - be very careful not to overdo it with the salt as you will need to season every layer.  On the final layer sprinkle again with salt and pepper then drizzle over a tiny amount of oil.

Pop a lid on (the lid is necessary or the potatoes will burn before getting cooked through). Cook in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Test the potatoes by inserting a sharp knife, they should be getting on for done, if not return the dish still covered to the oven.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove the lid and again return to the oven with the lid off for about 20 minutes so the potatoes can brown and crisp up nicely. Serve straight away while it's piping hot.

beetroot,hotpot,potatoes,main.recipe

main,meat,potatoes

English

Yield: 2-3

Author: Jan Bennett

Crispy Potato Topped Minced Beef Hotpot with Beetroot

Wondering what to have for dinner tonight? Try my minced beef hotpot with a layer of beetroot hiding underneath the lovely crispy potato top.

prep time: 15 Mcook time: 1 H & 5 Mtotal time: 1 H & 20 M

ingredients:

• a suitably sized ovenproof dish with a lid
• olive oil
• 500g good quality (low fat) minced beef
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 large onion - peeled and finely sliced
• 2 nice fat garlic cloves - peeled and finely chopped
• a pinch of dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin of tinned tomatoes including the juice
• a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• a Knorr stock cube - dissolved in 200ml boiling water
• a dollop of English mustard
• a good handful of cooked carrots - roughly chopped
• 3 medium-sized floury potatoes - such as Maris Piper or Kind Edward - peeled and very thinly sliced using a mandolin slicer
• 2 medium-sized ready-cooked beetroots - make sure they're not in vinegar or they will ruin your hotpot!

instructions:

How to cook Crispy Potato Topped Minced Beef Hotpot with Beetroot

1. Put a large frying pan over high heat and add a glug of olive oil and throw in the onions and garlic. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes till nice and soft.
2. Now add the minced beef and break up using a wooden spoon. Cook over a medium heat till the beef is nicely browned.
3. Add the tomato purée and cook for a minute. Now add a pinch of thyme and the tin of tomatoes - including the juice.
4. Let that cook down a bit then add the Worcestershire sauce along with the beef stock and a dollop of English mustard.
5. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the mixture has thickened up. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes if it doesn’t seem quite thick enough.
6. Once it's done remove it from the heat and put it into your casserole dish and stir in the cooked carrots.

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