Ingredients

• 6 ready-made frozen cheesy garlic bread slices
• 100g/3½oz frozen chopped onion (or 1 medium onion
• finely chopped)
• 500g/1lb 2oz frozen minced beef
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100ml/3½fl oz red wine or water
• 100ml/3½fl oz just-boiled water
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 beef stock cube
• 250g/9oz frozen sliced courgettes (or 2 medium courgettes
• trimmed
• sliced)
• 200g/7oz frozen sliced mushrooms (or 200g/7oz fresh closed-cup mushrooms
• sliced)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Unwrap the frozen cheesy garlic bread slices and separate them. Put them onto a chopping board to begin to defrost while you make the bolognese mixture.
• Heat a large
• heavy-based
• non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and beef and fry for 6-8 minutes
• stirring regularly to break up the beef mince as you go. Continue to cook until the beef is no longer pink
• then sprinkle over the flour and stir well.
• Add the tinned tomatoes
• tomato purée and wine to the pan and stir well. Pour in the just-boiled water
• then stir in the mixed herbs and bay leaf.
• Crumble in the stock cube
• stir again
• then season the mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil
• then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes
• stirring regularly
• until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the courgette and mushrooms to the bolognese sauce
• return the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes
• or until heated through.
• Meanwhile
• preheat the grill to its hottest setting.
• Half-fill a shallow 2.5 litre/4½ pint ovenproof dish with hot water and set aside for 5 minutes to warm the dish through. Carefully empty the water from the dish
• then fill it with the bolognese sauce mixture.
• Cut the defrosted garlic bread slices in half horizontally to create two slices from each. Arrange the slices on top of the bolognese sauce
• to cover.
• Place the beef bolognese pie under the grill and grill until the garlic bread has crisped up and is pale golden-brown (about 5 minutes). Serve immediately with green beans or a mixed salad.