Vegetarian Cottage Pie With Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients

• 50 g (1.75 oz) Clover original butter
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 leek (finely chopped)
• 2 large carrots (cut into small dice)
• 2 fat garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 200 g (7 oz) mushrooms, finely chopped
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) red wine
• 1 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 400 g tin green or puy lentils (drained)
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 50 g (1.75 oz) Clover original
• 4 fat garlic cloves (crushed)
• 75 g (2.75 oz) mature cheddar, grated

Instructions

1. 1

   Melt the Clover in a large pan and gently fry the onion, leek, carrots and garlic for 15 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and thyme and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and any excess liquid has evaporated.

2. 2

   Pour in the red wine and tomatoes and add the lentils, stock cube, soy sauce and sugar. Bring up to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes then season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

4. 4

   To make the sweet potato topping, boil the sweet potatoes in a large pan of salted water until tender, drain well then return to the pan.

5. 5

   In a small pan, melt the Clover, add the garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden, pour the garlic butter into the potatoes then mash them and season with salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Transfer the filling to a large ovenproof dish and spread the mash over the top (or get fancy like I did and pipe it on using a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle); sprinkle over the cheddar (at this point the pie can be refrigerated for up to a couple of days). Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.