Meatball patties with mashed potato, roast carrots and brussels

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:26:56 GMT

Step 1

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) 350°F (310°F convection).

Step 2

2. Scrub (but don’t peel) then chop carrots into thumb-sized chunks. Toss onto a large metal baking sheet with a tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper and mix with your hands so that they are covered. Roast for 30 minutes (toss after 20 minutes to ensure even cooking) until darkly golden and soft when tested with a sharp knife.

Step 3

3. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Put them in a large saucepan with the peeled but not chopped garlic, a generous pinch of salt and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and then cook for around 20 minutes, until they are soft when pierced with a knife.

Step 4

4. Cut the ends off the Brussel sprouts then chop them in half ( a great job for children) and toss them with oil and salt on a separate tray – or add them to the tray of carrots after 20 minutes of the carrots cooking.

Step 5

5. Make the patties. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and use your hands to squeeze everything together until combined. This is a great job for children.

Step 6

6. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan then make golf ball sized balls of the patty mixture, squish them flat so they’re about 1cm thick and place them into the hot pan. Cook without moving (you want them to develop a golden crust) for 5 minutes on a medium high heat. Then flip and cook for 3-4 minutes. To check they’re cooked, break one in half. If there is any pink in the middle cook for a couple more minutes.

Step 7

7. Now is a good time to drain and mash the potatoes and garlic. Mash until there are no lumps then add butter or cream cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of milk if you like your mash softer.

Step 8

8. To make a pan sauce, remove the cooked patties to a plate and put the wine or Marsala into the frying pan. Use a silicone spatula to scrape up and crusty bits and bubble on a high heat until the alcohol smell is gone and the liquid is reduced by a third. Add the stock gradually until you get the right amount of sauce that you’ll need and the thickness of sauce you like. Bubble for a minute or two then stir in the Dijon. Taste and add more Dijon if needed.

Step 9

9. Sprinkle the roasted vegetables with lemon juice and serve them with the mash with the patties sitting on top and the sauce spooned over. I love a bit of cranberry sauce on the side.

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