Mince and Tatties

Learn how to make Scottish Mince and tatties – a cheap, old fashioned, no frills meal that’s perfect for chilly weather days!

You know it’s starting to turn cold here in the Highlands when I start craving mince and tatties.

There’s certainly nothing fancy or very photogenic about a plate of mince in gravy and mashed tatties, but it’s certainly good old-fashioned comfort food.

We had mince and tatties at least once a week when I was little. My Gran often made a mince round too and a minced beef hotpot which were family favourites.

It’s exactly the kind of thing I make for my family when the first signs of Autumn appear.

The nights are fair starting to draw in, (which means it’s getting darker much earlier!) and it’s been very windy and nippy here this week so a warming plate of savoury mince and mash is just what I need.

I’ve also made a big pan of my tattie soup to keep us going this week – there’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup on cold days, don’t you think?

Now before you think I’ve gone mad sharing a recipe for something as simple as mince and tatties, I’ve actually had lots of people over the years asking me how I make it, so I thought I’d better put it on here!

I’m sure everyone has a different way of making mince but this is the way I make it – it’s basic and has no frills but my family love it and that’s the main thing. It’s also the way my Granny made it!

how to make mince and tatties

Step one – start off by browning your mince over a medium to high heat.  I don’t add any oil – it isn’t necessary.  Break the mince up with a fork and crumble in an Oxo stock cube (You don’t have to do this, but I always do.)

Step two – Add the diced onion, carrot, beef stock/gravy powder and Worcestershire sauce, if using.

Step three – place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until the mince is soft and is coated in a nice thick gravy. 

Step four – while you’re waiting for the mince to cook, make the tatties. This is as easy as it gets – simply place peeled and quartered potatoes in cold water with some salt, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the tatties are soft. Drain well (make sure the tatties are dry), then mash with a generous amount of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

serving suggestions

When you’re ready to serve the mince and tatties, taste it to check if it needs some salt and white pepper before serving. You really don’t need lots of side dishes with mince and tatties, but here are a few suggestions…..

• peas (My Granny used to serve mince and tatties with a tin of Marrowfat peas!) I have to admit, I prefer using frozen peas these days but it’s personal preference
• green beans
• buttered cabbage
• Suet dumplings
• white pudding
• broccoli
• oatcakes
• crusty bread or rolls

I know of a few people who love a squirt of tomato ketchup or brown sauce to their mince. I can cope with the brown sauce – I use it in my cottage pie recipe – but the ketchup is sacrilege to me….I will try not to judge!

Can you make mince and gravy in advance?

Absolutely, yes. In fact, I would highly recommend you do so. Making mince and onions in gravy ahead of time and letting it rest in the fridge overnight will only make it taste even better.

I like to make a big pan of mince and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days – it’s always better a day or two after making anyway, so if you can make it in advance your mince will be all the better for it.

However, I would not recommend making the tatties in advance! They taste far nicer freshly made.

freezing

Mince in gravy can be frozen for up to three months. Store the completely cold mince in a freezer-suitable container or thick freezer bags. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating. To reheat, place the mince in a saucepan and heat until piping hot.

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Let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below and rate the recipe out of five by clicking on the stars in the recipe card below.  Thanks! 

If you want to share a picture of your mince and tatties with me, tag me on Instagram #sweetsavouryblog and I’ll post it on my stories!

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Mince and Tatties

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Learn how to make old fashioned Scottish Mince and Tatties - just like Granny used to make! It's a cheap, easy, nourishing and comforting meal the whole family will love.

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Ingredients

• 500g pack Minced beef (I usually go for one with a 10-15% fat content)
• 1 Oxo Beef Stock Cube
• 1 Large Onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped into small dice
• Around 400ml of beef gravy, made with bisto gravy powder OR beef stock
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce , Optional

FOR THE MASHED TATTIES

• 900g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and cut into even sized pieces (I cut them into quarters)
• 75g butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

1. Place a large saucepan over a medium high heat and brown the mince, breaking it up with a fork to separate it. Crumble in the Oxo cube, add the onions and continue to cook on a high heat until the mince has browned and no traces of pink remain.
2. Add the diced carrots, the gravy or beef stock and the Worcestershire sauce, if using. Turn the heat to low-medium, pop on a lid and cook for at least an hour or until the mince is nice and soft and the gravy has thickened. Season to taste. That's all there is to it!
3. Place the peeled tatties in a large saucepan with cold water and a dash of salt. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium, partially cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Drain, making sure the potatoes are thoroughly dry. Mash them with the butter (some people add milk but I don't usually bother - you might want to add some) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

I prefer to use Bisto gravy powder, but you can use any beef stock you like.

The Oxo cube helps make the gravy a little richer, but you don't have to add it. 

Mince and tatties are lovely with Suet dumplings, white pudding, peas, green beans, buttered cabbage or broccoli.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1078mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 37g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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