Beef cobbler recipe

Our beef cobbler is ready in 45 minutes and uses Worcestershire sauce to add lots of flavour despite the short cook time

This hearty dinner for one is perfect when you’re craving comfort food. You can easily scale the recipe up for two or more if you need and the stew could be batch cooked and frozen in portions if you like. Swap in whatever veg you like and if you don’t have stock you can just use water or a small can of chopped tomatoes. 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 30g chopped onion
• 125g frozen minced beef
• 200ml beef stock or water
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1--g frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 tbsp gravy granules

For the dumplings:

• 100g self-raising flour
• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5). Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 2 minutes.
2. Add the mince and season well, then cook it for 5 minutes until nicely browned.
3. Pour in the stock, then add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Add the frozen mixed veg and gravy granules. Cook for 1 minute, then pour into an ovenproof dish.
5. Tip the flour into a bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter, then mix in the milk, to form a sticky dough.
6. Roll into 2-3 dumplings and pop on top of the mince. Bake for 20 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through and pale golden.

Top tip for making our beef cobbler

Alternatively, a tablespoon of fresh rosemary or thyme, very finely chopped would give a delicious herby flavour which will compliment the stew nicely. 

Jessica Ransom

“I always have some sort of frozen veg in the freezer as it’s a useful way to ensure I can serve any dinner with some goodness. If you go for the finely diced veg, it’s easy to add a handful to soups, pastas, stews or curries and it only takes a few minutes to cook through.” 

For this recipe you need a small oven-proof dish to finish the cobbler in the oven. We love these enamel tins which are great for crumbles and pies too.

Zenker Enamel Small Pie Dish - View at Amazon

Small, lightweight and easy to clean, this single portion tin is perfect for making this cobbler recipe but it’s also great for crumbles, pies or even macaroni cheese. The tin is also suitable for use on an induction hob and can be put in the freezer too.

For more hearty recipes, try this beef casserole next. You might also like James Martin’s beef stew or our beef pot roast is an excellent alternative to a classic roast beef.