Super Easy Cowboy Pie Recipe – Slimming World friendly

This super easy Cowboy Pie is a meal using mince that Stuart really enjoys. I hope you try it and enjoy it too.

Just Average Jen is an independent blog not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns yourself.

Choosing the best ingredients for super easy cowboy pie

When you make this super easy cowboy pie recipe the ingredients you choose are important. Here are my top tips.

Baked beans

The brand of baked beans you use in this recipe isn’t important unless you are really picky about them.

I have used the cheapest brands and had no complaints. With the other flavours, the difference is hardly ever noticeable.

There are loads of health benefits associated with baked beans so these are an ingredient you should definitely enjoy regularly in your diet.

They are a wonderful source of protein and fibre, making any meal more filling. Baked beans are rich in vitamins and minerals like folic acid, iron and magnesium, which are all important for maintaining good all-round health.

The low glycaemic index of baked beans means that they will slowly release energy, keeping you fuller for longer and making them great for diabetics, too.

The typical tin may contain more sugar and salt than you would ordinarily want, so look for a low sodium, low sugar version, and they will be much healthier for you.

The best potatoes for mash

Many people make the mistake of using the wrong potatoes for mash. I often just use baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks, but there are other options, too.

Actually, even the best chefs in the world offer different opinions on this, so go with whatever you feel is best.

Maris Piper and King Edward potatoes are great as they make a fluffy, smooth mash, packed full of flavour.

The addition of the grated cheese is fantastic in this Cowboy Pie recipe, but you could also add a pinch of salt and some white pepper for a bit of extra flavour.

If you are short on time and enjoy packed mashed potato then it is even easier to make this recipe with packed mash or smash.

Minced beef

I always recommend you use 5% fat mince or less for this recipe. There are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, the lower fat mince is healthier and would be better for you and your family as the saturated fat in higher fat mince is not needed in the recipe.

Secondly, if you use a higher-fat mince such as 20% fat mince then as the mince cooks there is excess fat which ends up in the mixture. This adds nothing except unnecessary grease and actually spoils the flavour.

Cheese choices

I sometimes use Eat Lean protein cheese for this recipe as you get a larger weight for your healthy extra a choice on Slimming World.

This can easily be made with any cheddar that you and your family enjoy; mature is usually best or extra mature as you need less cheese to get that amazing cheesy taste coming through.

For people with allergies, it would be just as possible to use a dairy-free cheese alternative as long as it is one designed to melt well. The Violife cheeses are good, in my experience.

Alternatives to minced beef

While minced beef in this recipe is fantastic, there are some other yummy alternatives for meat eaters.

Chicken and turkey mince are both lower in fat than minced beef, but they are much blander. However, the other ingredients in this recipe mean that the overall flavour will not suffer.

Pork mince is another option, altering the flavour slightly. You could also have a mixture of two minced meats, which can be bought in many supermarkets, as can healthier minced beef blended with vegetables (butternut squash, carrot and onion).

Making this super easy cowboy pie vegetarian

If you are a vegetarian, like me, then this recipe is easily made with any vegetarian or vegan mince, and no other changes need to be made.

If your vegetarian mince takes a little less time to cook, such as Quorn mince, then you may need to make a small change to the cooking time.

For vegans, you can make this a vegan cowboy pie by using a vegan mince and vegan cheese.

Cowboy Pie for children

It can be difficult to encourage (persuading, forcing, convincing…) children to eat a well-balanced diet and plenty of vegetables.

This Super Easy Cowboy Pie has been known to be a winner for many of my friends and family members at doing so.

While peppers and onions can be easy to spot for most kids, grating the onion or chopping both the onion and peppers very small can easily solve this issue.

If your little ones (or big ones!) aren’t keen on baked beans, try substituting for a tin of chopped tomatoes and a good squirt of tomato puree.

The cheesy mash topping equates to the ultimate comfort food for many of us, but this dish will be delicious even if you omit the cheese.

Step-by-step instructions to make the Cowboy pie

Preheat the oven to 200°c

Boil the potatoes for approximately 15-20 minutes until soft enough to mash.

Meanwhile in a large frying pan using low-calorie cooking spray fry the mince with the garlic until lightly brown

Add the peppers and onions and fry for a further 5 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, baked beans, Worcestershire sauce, or Hendersons relish. Stir well and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Whilst the mince mixture is simmering, drain the potatoes and mash well, then stir in the grated cheese.

I often use my Masha as it makes mashing potatoes so easy!

Pour the mince mixture into a large casserole dish and top with the mashed potato.

If the dish is very full, put it onto a baking tray as it can easily bubble over and make a mess in the oven if not!

Bake for 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown.

More recipes you may enjoy if you like this cowboy pie

This is just one of many recipes you can make with mince. Check out all my mince-based recipes here. Why not try my cowboy cheesy potato bake, which is really similar to this cowboy pie?

This is a great budget meal to make on Slimming World; you can find lots more here.

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