Minced beef hotpot – an easy family casserole

A hotpot is such a comforting dish to look forward to on a cold winter’s night. This minced beef hotpot is my easy version, made with ground beef, and lots of vegetables in a thick luscious gravy, topped with a layer of creamy sliced potatoes.

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A quick and easy hotpot

Normally, when you think of a hotpot, you think of hours of long slow cooking. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I have a few hotpot recipes on my website that you might like to try. There’s the traditional Lancashire hotpot, and a really tasty pork and cabbage hotpot.

This recipe for minced beef hotpot is just as tasty, but because it’s made with minced beef rather than chunks of meat, it takes a fraction of the time to make. It’s packed with vegetables for extra goodness and lots of delicious gravy. This minced beef hotpot is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight when you’re trying to get a meal on the table in a hurry.

The topping is made with sliced par-baked potatoes, rather than mash, and once they’ve been in the oven the potatoes turn out with crispy, golden edges with a creamy soft centre. If you want to get ahead you can make these the night before, or even pop them in the microwave for a few minutes to speed things up.

Why I think you’ll love this recipe

I think you’ll love this minced beef hotpot recipe as much as I do.

• Firstly, it’s quick to make – just fry off the veggies and mince, top with sliced par-baked potatoes and put into the oven for half-an-hour.
• It’s also economical – because there are so many vegetables in this beef hotpot, a small packet of mince goes a long way.
• It’s very versatile – you can use up whatever vegetables you happen to have in the refrigerator.
• The sliced potatoes on the top make a nice change from mashed potatoes.
• You can make individual helpings in smaller dishes, or you can make one large hotpot.

So let’s get on with the recipe.

Ingredients

**See the printable recipe card at the end of this post for a complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this minced beef hotpot**

This recipe will feed four people.

Minced beef – try to get minced beef with a low fat content – I used 5% fat content. You can get away with a higher fat content, but then you will have to pour away some of the fat that gets released once the meat has fried.

Vegetables – this is where you can get creative. I used leeks, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. You can swap out the vegetables for whatever you have available. French beans would be tasty, as would the addition of frozen peas. You can also use swedes, parsnips, or even finely grated cabbage. I’d tend to steer clear of delicate vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or marrows as they may become mushy. Whatever vegetables you decide on, you will need one cup of diced mixed vegetables per person.

Tinned tomatoes – try and get chopped tomatoes rather than whole tomatoes, as the chopped tomatoes break down more easily. I used a tin of tomatoes with herbs because I like the flavour they add, but you could use plain tinned tomatoes too.

Potatoes – these are in addition to the other vegetables and you will need sufficient sliced potatoes to completely cover your casserole dish. The potatoes should be pre-baked and cooled before being sliced. This will ensure they are fully cooked in the short cooking time in the oven. I normally pop the potatoes into the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes (depending on size) and then allow them to cool before slicing for the topping. You will need sufficient sliced potatoes to cover the casserole.

For extra flavour I like to add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and garlic. And of course, salt to taste. Plus I always add a teaspoon of sugar whenever I’m cooking with tomatoes, to cut through the tartness.

Beef stock – I make this with one beef stock cube dissolved in one cup of boiling water. This is added to the meat mixture if it starts to dry out during cooking. You may not need all the stock. The amount you will need depends on how tightly your pan lids fits, and the amount of evaporation that occurs.

How to make minced beef hotpot

Prepare the vegetables

Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork and place them on a baking tray in a hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the size) until you can pierce them almost to the centre with a fork. Don’t allow them to cook until they are completely soft – they should offer a bit of resistance when you pierce them. Set the potatoes aside to cool.

If you are in a hurry you could microwave the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on full power.

While the potatoes are baking, peel and chop the vegetables and mince the garlic. Because this dish is made with ground beef, you don’t want large chunks of vegetables, so cut them into approximately half-inch (or just over 1cm) dice.

Fry the vegetables and meat

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the vegetables and garlic, stirring often until the onions start to turn translucent.

Now add the beef mince to the pan and fry it until it is brown and nicely separated.

Return the vegetables to the pan and add the tomatoes, sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and salt.

Keep your eye on it and top up with stock if the mixture starts to dry out. The end result should be a thick mixture with not too much liquid.

Assemble and bake

Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.

Slice the potatoes into approximately one-eighth of an inch slices and arrange on top of the meat mixture.

Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.

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Freezing and storage

This minced beef hotpot freezes very well. Once the dish has been cooked, allow it to cool and then cover with a layer of tinfoil. Wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.

To use, allow the dish to defrost in the refrigerator and then remove all the packaging, place the dish on a baking tray and reheat in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 10 minutes until piping hot.

If you don’t want to put your casserole dish into the freezer, assemble and bake this dish in a disposable aluminium container and freeze it in that.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated either in a saucepan or in the oven as above.

You can also cook the mince and vegetables in advance store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. Pre-bake the potatoes and store them separately. When you are ready to make it, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and slice the potatoes on top. If you store it with the potatoes already sliced on top, the potatoes may discolour and dry out.

Save for later

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Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Other recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are some other casserole recipes you may enjoy too.

• Slow cooker Irish lamb stew with barley
• Hearty beef cobbler with cheesy scones
• Slow cooker beef and kidney stew
• Slow cooker oxtail stew
• Thai pork mince stir fry
• Spicy ground beef curry and rice

The recipe

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