The carrots have tunnelled their way to the Centre of the Earth. The kids will need to break through the earth’s crust, dig through the steaming hot lava and find the veggies. Your mission is to help the kids find them and eat them to defeat them. Start their journey by saying…
Dig for victory!
Tea-time adventures make meals fun, turning eating into a game. It’s not just about the recipe—it’s about getting kids excited to eat their food. This is a cottage pie. You can make it any way you like, we have suggested a simple recipe below with lentils mixed in to reduce the cost. The important thing is to put a layer of carrots or other vegetables in fairly large chunks on the bottom of the dish so the kids can hunt them down.
Join the “Eat Them to Defeat Them” challenge and watch the video together. Get the kids pumped up with the rally cry, “Dig for victory!” as you prep the meal. Keep it fun and light-hearted—ask the kids if they want to help Chef Andrew to “defeat” the veggies without pressure, maybe throwing in fun phrases like “you’re going down veggies” or “let’s defeat them!” as they dig to try and find and defeat the veggies at the bottom of the dish.
After the meal, praise, praise, praise – celebrate every win, big or small, like a sniff, a lick or a nibble, and try to steer away from talking about health or nutrition. Praise their efforts with a “Well done, we defeated the veggies!” and add a sticker to their Eat Them To Defeat Them wall chart (you can download one here). Ask if they’d like to try another challenge, and keep the veggie fun going!
Ingredients:
Minced meat or veggie alternative (about 300-400g for 4 people)
A jar of tomato sauce
Mashed potatoes (homemade, leftover or pre-prepped – whatever works for you)
Frozen peas or frozen sliced carrots (optional)
Not made a shepherd’s pie before, or not ready to try the next steps? Start here!
Method:
Preheat your oven to 200C/gas 6.
Cook the mince in a little oil in a frying pan until browned. Stir through the jar of sauce and let it simmer for a few mins to heat through. If using frozen peas or carrots, add them to the sauce and simmer until cooked (the packet will tell you how long this should take).
If making mash, boil peeled and chopped potatoes until soft, then drain and mash with a little salt & pepper and oil, butter or milk if you feel it needs it.
In a casserole dish, pour the meat sauce, then top with the mashed potatoes. Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins, until golden and bubbling
There is no need to go any further with this recipe until you are confident with it and feel up for the next step.
Have the kids help you measure and weigh ingredients, mash the potatoes, layering ingredients in the dish and stir things together (show them how to safely stir over the heat and keep a close eye on them). For more tips on cooking with kids check out Kids in the Kitchen.
