Main Dishes
Barbecue bean pie
The ultimate in uncomplicated comfort food Barbecue bean pie. A batch-cooked tomato and lentil sauce is mixed with baked beans and barbecue sauce for a tangy and slightly sweet base, topped with creamy mashed potato.
This recipe is part of a vegetarian batch cook meal plan. It is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard. The batch-cooked tomato and lentil sauce makes enough for three recipes. If you’re not following the meal plan, freeze the remaining two-thirds to use in other recipes.
Ingredients
For the batch-cooked tomato and lentil sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 500g/1lb 2oz passata
- 300g/10½oz red lentils, washed
- 750ml/1¼ pint boiling water
- 2 tsp sugar or honey (optional)
For the barbecue bean pie
- 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
- 3 peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 2cm/¾in pieces
- ⅓ of the batch-cooked tomato and lentil sauce (about 900g/2lb cooked weight), see above
- 400g tin baked beans
- 100g/3½oz barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 300g/10½oz frozen peas, to serve
- salt and ground black pepper
Method
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To make the tomato and lentil sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–10 minutes until they have softened and are just starting to turn translucent.
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Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, red lentils and boiling water and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir and put the lid on, slightly ajar, and turn the heat down to low. Cook for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Set aside.
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To make the pie, put the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 20–25 minutes until tender.
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While the potatoes are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat and add the carrots. Fry for 5–10 minutes, stirring often, until starting to soften. Add the peppers and cook for a further 5 minutes until both of the vegetables are almost cooked.
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Put a third of the tomato and lentil sauce into the base of a pie dish (set aside the remaining sauce for other recipes in this meal plan). Add the carrots and peppers, baked beans and barbecue sauce and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
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Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. When the potatoes have cooked, drain and mash with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Spread over the top of the bean mixture and smooth out with a fork. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until hot throughout.
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Meanwhile, cook the frozen peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Serve alongside the pie.
Barbecue bean pie