A Scottish Mince and Tatties recipe for a comfort food meal that is a family favourite meal my Nana made. It’s a comforting Scottish mince recipe that is a warm hug during the chillier months.
This post is in memory of my brother. He passed away very suddenly and tragically in 2008 when he was 28 years old and this week he would have turned 37. This Scottish Mince recipe with Tatties (or just plain “Mince” as we called it) was his favourite meal that our Nana would make him.
I don’t want to go on for very long about this dark period in my life. I don’t like talking about it, I don’t like writing about it.
What I much prefer to do is remember the good times with my brother and I know that he would have always wanted me to choose hope, love, and happiness above of sitting in the depths of grief.
The instant I start making this meal, I can recall what the dinner plates looked like at my grandparent’s house. Memories flood in from the stash of Scottish mints in their car to how high the tree was in their yard that I would climb.
But most of all, I remember my brother enjoying this meal with such delight (he wasn’t the best eater in our family, that was clearly my role).
Isn’t funny how a taste or a smell can take you so far back down memory lane? My youngest daughter is the most like my brother. The twinkle in their eyes, their joy for life, the glee over this dish.
Lucy went crazy for it and would not stay down off the table long enough for me to photograph it. So, not only do you get see this bowl of tastiness, but you get to see a lot of Lucy’s tiny hands.
Scottish Mince and Tatties is basically ground meat and potatoes. There are countless (and often controversial) versions of the recipe. The recipe shown here is the closest I can get it to my Nana’s.
She sadly passed away a number of years before my brother and so I’ve been trying to replicate it while carefully questioning any Scottish person I run into about this dish since I don’t have a solid referral source for it.
I will say that using OXO gravy mix was the turning point for me, some say that Bisto Gravy is the key to this dish. I find that Bisto creates such a thick gravy that I prefer OXO, but the ultimate choice is yours and what’s available to you.
Bisto is harder to come by for me as I’m in Canada, not the UK, and Bisto is also crazy pricey for me given that it’s an import.
If you’ve never had this dish before, then I don’t think the type of beef broth you use will matter all that much. Since I grew up on it, the slight nuances are a factor for me and that’s why I use that mix specifically. The vegetables are a big controversial portion of the dish.
I like it with more vegetables versus less. I pack onion, carrots and peas into the dish for some sort of nutritional value.
Even when I have all this veg, I still usually serve a simple green salad on the side. My kids always eat salad so it’s an easy out for me.
My husband obviously loves this dish; it’s literally meat and potatoes so he’s very pleased when he arrives home from work to this on the dinner table.
Baby Lucy totally went crazy for this dish. She loves meat and potatoes so it’s not a stretch to assume she would be into it, I was surprised at the quantity she ate of it. A lot.
The 3 year olds were into the meat portion of this dish. One loved the entire dish and the other loved the meat portion (she doesn’t like potatoes unless they are french fries).
Other comfort food meals:
*** This post was originally written in November 2016 and was updated with some new photos and formatting in October 2020.
Comfort food of mince and potatoes! Ground beef is cooked in a luscious gravy and served over classic mashed potatoes.
- 1 lb (454 gr) extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup beef broth (I use OXO Beef and I use 2 small packages (4.5 grams each) per 1 cup of water)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces (around 5 cm)
- 1 cup fresh, canned or frozen peas
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 medium dried bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
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Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon if necessary. Once beef starts to brown add onions to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables start to soften, but not brown. Add garlic and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add wine and deglaze pan by scraping the bottom with spoon. Allow wine to reduce and evaporate by more than half.
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Sprinkle cornstarch over beef and vegetables, and stir to fully coat ingredients (and avoid any cornstarch lumps).
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Slowly add beef broth, starting with a tablespoon or two and gradually increasing quantity. Once broth is added, bring pot to a boil and reduce heat to low.
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Simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes, until sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. Add carrots, peas and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until carrots have reached desired tenderness.
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Season lightly with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, place potatoes and bay leaves (if using) into a large sauce pan and cover with 2-3″ of cold water. Add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook for around 20-25 minutes until tender.
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Drain water and let potatoes air dry in the strainer (do not rinse!). Add milk and butter to pan and cook over low heat until butter has melted and milk has warmed. Return potatoes to mean with milk and butter and mash until desired consistency has been reached. Season with salt and pepper
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Serve mince over tatties and garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Enjoy! xo
Holiday Pomegranate Mint Relish
I can see my husband totally loving this recipe! He’s sooo picky but I know this will be a winner for sure.
I’ll make it in honour of your brother. He’d be the same age I am now.
Thanks for sharing this family recipe. *hugs*
Thanks Diana. I hope your husband likes it. It wins over the picky eater in our house. Big hugs back to you! I’m always inspired by your positivity and I’m honoured that you’d make something with my brother in mind. He’d have loved that a lot. Thank you.
My MIL was born in Glenboig outside of Glasgow. She made this for her kids and the 3 older grands littlest never had it. Gran came down with Alzheimer’s. I made this for my hubby and youngest son they lived it! Son said it was a deconstructed Shepard pie
Aww, what an amazing story behind this recipe! I just had this as our lunch and it was amazing!
I grew up on mince. We sometimes had it with dumplings, which I loved. Easy to make and delicious. We never made it with oxo or gravy, just a saucepan on the stove filled first with beef, then onions, then carrots and potatoes and lastly, peas. The dumplings were put into the broth near the end. So good. The worcestershire made it. Reminds me of my dad, who made this for us at least once a week.
I’ve never had it with dumplings but that sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try.
Samantha, what a lovely tribute to your brother. It’s such a wonderful thing that you can introduce your kids to the memory of your brother through food and the feelings and memories it evokes. This is exactly why I love our little food blogger commmnity – I am surrounded by people who truly get just how important and special food is in our lives. Big hugs.
Big hugs back girl. I’m in complete agreement with you – our community is by far the best. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of it.
What a lovely post Sam! Losing a loved one suddenly and tragically is a lose like no other. It’s beautiful that you can remember the good times, find comfort in those memories and in delicious family recipes like this one. Thank you for sharing your story ❤️
Thanks for reading Meaghan! I have good days and bad days, but I try my very best to look at the positives in life. I have very few family recipes so this is one that I’ve hung onto for quite sometime before sharing.
It is incredible how food and smell trigger memories and emotions! I am really sorry for your loss but I’m glad that your loved ones live through the Food that you make and your little ones get to experience their presence and love that way.
The dish looks amazing – so comforting and cozy! I can see my husband and me enjoying it this winter in front of our fireplace!
That sounds like a perfect way to enjoy this dish Julia. Thank you for your kind and thoughtful words. xo
Hi Sam. I am Alexandra’s aunt and we met once when she was so sick way back in 2009. That must have been a doubly difficult time given the loss of your brother so close in time. We are so lucky to still have our girl and having come so close to not, I can tell you that I am profoundly sorry for your loss. I will be making this tonight and will raise a glass in your brother’s honour. And PS I couldn’t have made it without the vegies either!
Hi Christine, I do remember you! Al was just over today actually; she’s one of my favourite people and I feel so lucky that I get to spend time with her and my girls with Evie. Thank you for your kind words and I know my brother would be honoured for you to toast to him.
My husband’s mom passed away on this date in 2008. She was Scottish & he remembers her making this often when growing up. I’ve used your recipe multiple times already & he has wonderful flashbacks of his childhood. It’s a delicious dish!!!!
Thank you so much for this comment!! It made my day. I’m so glad your husband gets to head down memory lane with this dish 🙂
This looks like a warming, hot dish perfect for winter! Yummy!
Thanks Marie; it truly is.
Thanks for sharing this, Samantha. It’s a special thing when food can trigger fond memories. It really is strange, and sometimes alarming, that a taste or a smell can take you down memory lane even deeper than, say, an actual photo. Songs do the same for me, too. A few years ago I hear an 80s song that I had forgotten about — that I hadn’t heard since then — and despite the fact that I was fine that day I just started bawling. It really transplanted me to back then.
Anyway. I’m happy that you were able to use your blog, skills + creativity as an outlet; as a way to remember your brother. The biggest of hugs, girl.
I’m totally curious now and want to know which song it is. I sing my kids an obscure song from the 70’s that my dad used to sing to my brother and I … music, food, smells – all create this vehicle for falling back into simpler times when we were “younger” (because we’re still young right?). Biggest hugs back. Happy wine-end. 😉
Haha, okay. So it’s super dorky and not even an emotional song, but I seriously had *the* happiest childhood, and 80s/early 90s jams always tug at my heartstrings. The song was Howard Jones – Things Can Only Get Better. I didn’t even recognize the song until the pre-chorus, and I was like… :O and I was going through a shitty time and yeah. It just brought on a wave of feels. Music has always been huge for me, but the 80s is extra special!
I love that you’re the same way with music, food and smells! Sometimes I hate how emotional and empathetic I am, haha. It’s always nice to meet others who are the same.
I hope you have an amazing wine-end too, girl! xo
I love this Dana!! I actually know that song and love it. Hopefully you can make FBC 2017 and we can jam to some 80s tunes. While drinking wine of course 😉
Samantha, thank you for sharing about your loss, and this lovely tribute to your brother. It’s wonderful to find comfort in happy memories, and food has a way of evoking them. Your recipe is so familiar to me as well, coming from a Scottish background. It’s true comfort food, and I love that you add extra veggies. Makes me want to make this soon!
Thanks so much Colleen. Have you ever had Mince before? I think it is somewhat regional in Scotland from what I know. I always try to work in more veggies, much to everyone else’s dismay in my house.
Losing a loved one is never easy — no matter how much time has passed. I love how you went with photographing Lucy’s hands in it. So adorable! It is a joy to be able to make a dish that your family loves. 🙂
So much truth to your words Cynthia. Lucy’s pretty cute and bossy. She’s not one to stay off the low coffee table no matter how many times she’s removed from it. And I agree, sharing a dish my family loves is by far my favourite way to share recipes.
What a beautiful post, Samantha. Thank you for pulling back the curtain a little today and sharing such a personal part of you and your past. This sounds like classic comfort food and entirely applicable. xo
Thanks Aimee. I’m a very private person so sharing so much of my personal life is difficult, but I’m trying my best. And, you can’t go wrong with classic comfort foods when you need them the most.
Aww, what a sweet story and beautiful photos with those little hands, Samantha! I’m sure your brother it looking proudly upon this post and your journey into food blogging. I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes! What a beautiful way to remember him. 🙂
Thanks Justine. I truly appreciate your kind words and I hope he is.
Huge hugs to you. I’m so sorry about your brother :(. This is the loveliest tribute and Lucy being all over the dish and the table is the cutest and so perfect <3 <3 <3
Thanks friend. I appreciate your note. Lucy’s pure sunshine and sparkles.
Hello Samantha. I just discovered your site through looking up ‘mince’ on a Google search. Recently a friend mentioned American Chop Suey to me and when she listed many of the ingredients, they reminded me of my Mom’s go-to dish, Mince. She was from Northern Ireland, so it the dish must have crossed the North Sea from Scotland. We had it every week, usually on a Monday (of course it couldn’t be a Sunday since that was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding night:). She has passed on now, but I am inspired by your recipe and will tackle it this week. And of course I will need to make it for my kids the next time they stop by, and it will surely make me feel quite close to my Mom’s spirit once again.
Hi! Thank you SO much for this comment. This dish is close to my heart and it makes me happy to know that you’re inspired by my recipe. I looked up the history of Mince and Tatties to see if it could possibly be linked to N Ireland (my Grandfather was actually from a town near Belfast), but I couldn’t spot any links. Maybe the dish became more common throughout the entire UK over time? I do hope you get a chance to try this recipe and take a trip down memory lane 🙂
When I make mince and tatties
I put the mince in a pot with salted water bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes – then take off the heat and put the pot in a basin of cold water then in the fridge if necessary – till the grease rises to the top and goes hard – it is then taken out (Good for the heart).
Then back on the stove with a large onion cut roughly and a carrot or two cut in big chunks then add 3 OXOs and simmer until onion and carrot are cooked (Soft).
Put enough potatoes – peeled and quartered in salted water and boil until soft.
Serve mince with carrots and onion to one side and potatoes.
The potatoes can be mashed on the plate with a lump of butter and combined with the mince.
And you can eat the onion and carrot at your leisure through the meal.
I normally eat the carrot first then the onion leaving the mince with the potato, which I mash up with a lot of butter- mixing it together – and as a taste treat – I put HP sauce on one side and Heinz tomato ketchup on the other side – and have a forkful from each side one after the other.
So my tastebuds are going from HP to plain to Ketchup.
Try it sometime !!!
Awesome that you have a system that works well for you!
I also grew up eating Mince and Tatties that my Nana, mom and I have cooked for over 50 yrs. They’re from Scotland. I also lost a brother in a car accident tragically in 1988. I am so sorry for your loss. Might I suggest you use Bisto instead of cornstarch? It is all we use to make the gravy. You can order it online. I get it through Amazon. Love the Worcestershire Sauce idea. I’m making it tonight and trying it. Thanks for the ideas!!
Thanks for the Bistro tip! I will give it a try to see 🙂 Sorry for your loss as well <3
I made this today for lunch and it was quite delicious. I may have altered the recipe a tad bit to my own taste (I used more wine and broth in my dish), but it was absolutely divine. It was hard not to keep filling my plate with more haha.
I’m so happy to hear that!! This recipe is one of my favourites and I’m so pleased others like it too.
Made this over the weekend and it was soo delicious…husband licked his plate clean. After losing my recipe during my last move I was appreciative to find this one. Just like grandma use to make 😀. Thank you for the recipe!
Sooo happy to read this note! I’m glad you and your husband liked the recipe. 🙂
Made this tonight. The dish has very good flavor and I am printing this recipe. My carrots weren’t as tender as I would have hoped, but that is no fault of this recipe. Thank you!
Pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight and was delicious! My hubby is on a Scottish kick and he loved it. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Mince and Tatties recipe <3
My mother made this dish and she was from the south of England in Kent, the other end of the UK from Scotland but not so far away as Canada where she chose to live. I am loosing her and her recipes, not through a sudden loss like your bother, but a to a slow decline due to dementia. She never taught me how to make this dish and it is one that I came home from school to see on the stove so I never saw it made either. She hasn’t made it for years and I haven’t thought about it for years but today I have a craving for it. I don’t know that she could give me a recipe now but I should ask. I can’t predict what she remembers and what she doesn’t. I don’t know that I will get the taste right (we always had OXO in the house but I don’t now) but that is OK, I do have Bisto so thanks for the tips everyone. Mom cooked the potatoes in pieces in the mince not on the side. I will be adding lots of veggies which she never did, I like veggies more now than I did then;) HP sauce on the side is a must!
There are precious few recipes of this dish that I could find trawling the internet. Tonight I make this to honour my mother and to honour your brother. Thank you.
Thank you! This comment brought tears to my eyes. I hope you get a chance to reminisce about this dish on some level with your mom. I too didn’t get the recipe from my nana and had to literally try the recipe 20-30 times to get it where it is now. Being in Canada vs UK does have an impact, but I find the final flavour works to bring me back. All the best to you and your mom. <3
I’ve been looking for this recipe for some time. My mum made it at least once a week. Since she passed early on we lost her recipe. So I thank you for this one! I can’t wait to make it, & will let you know how I do!
I’m so glad you stumbled across it. I hope it lives up to your expectations.
You make this the same as I do. The way my Granny made it. I cut my onion into wedges and the carrots on the diagonal. I must try the bay meat with the tatties. This was my dad’s fave. When he had to move from our house to the nursing home I would make this often for him. I believe I really should have made enough for all, as the around was mouth watering. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. My mom used to make this when I was at home (55 years ago) and it was my favourite meal,
You are so right about the memories. I could so vividly see mom at the stove and dad hanging around waiting for it to be done. She always used the pressure cooker so she would brown the meat in the same pot and then put the pressure to it. We had it tonight for dinner. My husband loves so I made two pounds of hamburger so we will be able to freeze some for another meal. I didn’t have enough carrots so bowed to pressure and used mixed veggies. Not the same at all. I always thought my mom just made up the recipe so I was delighted to actually see an official one. The Worcestershire sauce is a good addition. Thanks.
Pleasure! I’m glad it brought back wonderful memories and you adapted it to follow in your mom’s version of the recipe.
Hi Samantha
I live in Edinburgh and my mince is made the way my Gran did. The had six kids and not much money so food
had to go a long way. She used to add a level tablespoonful of toasted pinhead oatmeal as a thicker instead
of any floury gravy mixes and Oxo cubes for flavouring. My mother used the same recipe as it was difficult
after the Second World war and food was on the rationing. I make it the same way because it tastes good.
Sorry for your loss – we lost our adored son-in-law six years ago. Grief doesn’t go away it just gets easier to
manage it.
Oatmeal is a great tip for a thickener – I’ll have to try that next time. I agree, it does taste so good and comforting. I’m sorry for your loss and true words on grief.
This would taste good but authenticity demands no exotic ingredients eg bay garlic wine. Even peas are a summer time maybe. Carrots onions mince potatoes butter. Cook it slowly (think kitchen range) no stock required. Norn iron born & bred.
Good to know your point of view on this mince recipe. Thanks for the note.
I haven’t thought of mince in years. It was one of the first meals I learned to cook. It definitely reminds me of meals at my grandmother’s and of my dad cooking dinner. The house always smelled yummy when a pot of mince was bubbling away. My grandmother was NOT a vegetable person so the peas and carrots were always on the side, but yes, they were the go to veggie of choice. In the past couple of weeks, this dish has been mentioned several times. Time to cook up some nostalgia! TY.
Pleasure! The recipe is easily adaptable so if veg goes on the side, it goes on the side! We love it for a cozy meal any day.
Oh my gosh, this is so delicious and so easy to make.
I am going to make this for dinner! Yum!
Great news!
This sounds like a hearty meal, a definite win at our house! I plan on making this dish this week for dinner one night! Thanks for the share!
Hope you all enjoy it 🙂
Totally Wow! This is definitely an amazing comfort food that will be loved and enjoyed by many! Looks absolutely delicious! I’ll make this at home! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!
Let us know how it goes!
This dish looks so delicious and so easy to make.
I am so excited to make this for my family!
Hello again – I was Roderick Stewart now I am Anne Stewart .
So a good pot of beef mince lasts for a few meals – First Mince ‘n’ Tatties – then the next day a couple of eggs poached in the mince served on buttered toast and the remainder of the mince on the third day – gets a tin of Spaghetti to make the third meal . In these days when we have to stretch our money to survive , a few ways to extend the very basic foods is an advantage .
love
Anne
So perfect for this cold weather we are about to get! Ground meat and potatoes are my kids’ favorite. It’s also the only way I can get them to eat their carrots and peas! I used frozen peas and double the mashed potatoes recipe. So good!
Yum! Love the extra veg idea.
This definitely looks like a comfort food dish! I have not had this dish before, but ti sounds very tasty! Thanks for the recipe share!
Hope you get the chance to try it!
Oh my, such a great-looking dish! It looks amazingly delicious and very appealing too! I’ll definitely make this at home! Thanks!
It’s comfort food defined for sure.
This Scottish Mince Recipe with Tatties is a taste of home! The hearty combination of flavorful mince and comforting tatties brings a touch of Scotland to my kitchen. Thanks for sharing this authentic and delicious recipe; it has become a family favorite.
Hurrah, glad it’s become a favourite.
A great recipe indeed, one of the candy to the eye of the peolple! gotta make this now, thank you for sharing this!
I love how simple this recipe is. With just a few ingredients you will have a delicious dish to serve with your family. Thank you!
Agree, it’s a great family-friendly dish.
I love how simple and hearty this recipe is. A perfect dish to make for this cold weather. Yum!
It’s a wonderful Winter’s day meal 🙂
We made this scottish mince yesterday and it was delicious!
So glad it was a success!