Cheesy Mash Bake (The Ultimate Comfort Food Traybake)

There are days when only proper, rib-sticking comfort food will do, and this cheesy mash bake absolutely delivers.

It’s hearty, flexible, and perfect for using up whatever you’ve got lurking in the fridge or freezer. Best of all, it’s simple enough for a midweek tea but indulgent enough to feel like a treat.

This is the kind of no-nonsense cooking we love at That’s Food and Drink: filling, adaptable, and gloriously cheesy.

Cheesy Mash Bake Recipe

Serves: 4–6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40–50 minutes

Ingredients

For the base

500g minced beef or diced beef (or a mix)

1–2 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, sweetcorn, onions – whatever you fancy)

500–750ml beef stock (enough to keep things lovely and saucy)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the mash topping

1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped

Butter and a splash of milk

100–150g grated cheese (cheddar works beautifully)

For the cheesy finish

Thick slices of cheese (cheddar, Red Leicester, or a mix)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

Cook the potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain, mash with butter and milk, then stir through the grated cheese. Season well.

Prepare the filling

Grease a large casserole dish. Add the minced meat or cubed beef, scatter over the mixed vegetables, and pour in enough stock to generously cover the base. Season with salt and pepper.

Top with mash

Spoon the cheesy mash over the filling and spread it thickly right to the edges.

Add the final cheese layer

Lay thick slices of cheese over the mash for that golden, bubbling top.

Bake

Place in the oven and cook for 40–50 minutes, until piping hot, bubbling at the edges, and beautifully golden on top.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with buttered greens or cabbage for balance, or baked beans

Add a splash of gravy if you like things extra comforting

Leftovers reheat brilliantly the next day (if there are any!)

Easy Variations

Extra richness: Stir a spoon of mustard into the mash, or mayonnaise 

Vegetarian version: Swap the meat for lentils or mushrooms, or vegan mince

Different meats: Use pork or lamb rather than beef or use corned beef for a different take

Luxury twist: Add a little grated parmesan to the mash topping

Spicy kick: A pinch of chilli flakes in the filling works wonders

This cheesy mash bake is proof that simple food, done well, is often the most satisfying of all. It’s warm, filling, adaptable, and guaranteed to disappear fast from the table.

Perfect comfort food – the That’s Food and Drink way.

Aldi reduces plastic wrapping on minced beef

Aldi has announced it is trialling the sale of vacuum and flow-wrap packed beef mince to cut the amount of plastic packaging it users by up to 73%.

As well as significantly reducing plastic use, the changes are expected to increase the shelf life of minced beef, keeping products fresher for longer, without impacting either quality or taste.

The trials are taking place to see which packaging customers prefer alongside looking at how the supermarket can further reduce plastic waste in the future.

The aim of the trial is to understand which packaging customers prefer alongside helping Aldi the further cut plastic waste.

The new packaging removes the need for paper linings and no carbon dioxide is used in production, delivering further environmental benefits without impacting the quality or taste of the product.

In fact, the new packaging is expected to increase the shelf life of minced beef by keeping it fresher for longer.

The vacuum packaging trial has gone live across select stores in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire. (EDITOR: That's us covered, then!)

The flow-wrap trial will be rolled out in the same areas later in the year during November.

Luke Emery, who holds the role of Aldi's Plastics and Packaging Director, said: “At Aldi we're constantly reviewing ways to become more eco-friendly and reduce plastic use wherever possible.

“These trials promise a range of environmental benefits without impact on quality and it could lead to significant reductions in plastic, food miles and food waste if rolled out across all our stores.”

The move follows Aldi’s switch to colourless milk caps across all of its 990 UK stores in a bid to improve the recyclability of the bottles.

The roll out will mean a further 200 tonnes of High-Density Polythene (rHDPE) in the bottle tops can be reused to create new milk bottles.