Fantastic and quick meal for a Friday night or a weekend lunch with friends, who will be delightfully reminded of their childhood by this dish. You can put this together in about 30 minutes and it makes a great heat and eat meal to leave for the kids if you are going out. It’s also a great dish to give to elderly folks who may need a bit of a hand in the cooking department. You can also make this with pork or lamb mince for something a bit different.

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic until clear. Add the mince and brown.

Add the carrot, parsnip and celery and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add the beef stock to the pan and then add the bay leaf, thyme, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.

Bring to the boil, put on the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

Just before serving, thicken with 2 tsp cornflour (mixed with a little cold water to a paste) and stir through. Make sure this is nice and thick as there is nothing worse than runny mince making the toast soggy. Add more cornflour if necessary. Add salt and pepper and serve on hot buttered toast.

Tips:
Instead of powdered beef stock, try the new stock gels that are available. The flavour is much better and there aren’t as many additives in them.