Lancashire Hotpot

Method

1. Heat the oven to 140C (160 fan)/ Gas Mark 3. 
2. Put the butter in a large frying pan or sauté dish, then add the lamb and brown it.  When it’s done, put it into a casserole dish. 
3. Then put the onion and carrots into the same frying pan and cook until they are soft and golden.  Sprinkle over the flour and let it cook for a minute or two.  Then add the stock and the bay leaf and bring to the boil. 
4. Pour it over the meat in the casserole dish, and then arrange the slices of potato on top.
5. Cover the dish (using tin foil if it doesn’t have a lid) and bake in the oven for about an hour and a half.
6. At the end of the cooking time, take off the lid, brush a little more butter over the potatoes and turn up the temperature to brown the potatoes.  You can also do this under the grill, if you prefer.

Hints and tips

1. The whole family can eat this dish, as long as you leave the seasoning to add at the table.  
2. You could use beef instead of lamb, if you prefer.  
3. It’s best to slice the potatoes by hand rather than using a food processor, which may do them too thinly. 

Age suitability

9 months

Meal Type

Lunch

Preparation time

Under 20 minutes