Vegetable Pie

I love making this for dinner, it's quick, easy and filling. Just what you need for a stormy Monday evening. You can use whatever vegetables that you have available, even leftovers work well.  The cheese sauce is quick to make and you cover everything with tasty mash. A complete dinner in one dish. My daughters love this meal and asked for me to cook it for dinner tonight.  Since we have all the ingredients, it shall be done. 

Creamy Sauce

50g butter

2 tsp mustard powder

50g flour

600ml milk

200g grated mature cheddar

Vegetables, use what you have available

2 carrots, peeled and chopped thinly

1 cauliflower, cut into fairly small florets

1 head of broccoli, cut into fairly small florets

200g fresh or frozen peas

small bunch of chives, finely chopped

2 - 3 large potatoes or sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and mustard powder and cook for 1 min. Gradually stir in the milk until smooth with no lumps, then keep stirring until the mixture begins to bubble and thickens to a creamy sauce. Remove from the heat, then stir in the grated cheese, leaving some aside to sprinkle on the top.

Heat your oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the carrots for around 5 minutes then add the broccoli and cauliflower and boil for another 3 mins.  Finally add the peas for 1 last minute of cooking.  Drain all the vegetables well.  Add the cooked vegetables to the creamy sauce with the chives. Cook and mash the sweet potatoes or potatoes and season to taste as this will cover the top of the finished pie.

Tip the mixed vegetables and sauce into a deep ovenproof dish, carefully cover with the mash and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 mins until the topping is golden and the cheese is bubbling, then serve.