Beefy picnic bites with parsley pesto

A hearty and tasty option for a picnic, perfect served with a crisp salad

• Preparation: 25 mins
• Cooking: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

• 375g/12oz lean beef mince
• 30ml/2tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced and dried
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 5-10ml/1-2tsp ground paprika
• 2 large courgettes, topped, tailed and very thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 x 280g jar prepared grilled peppers, drained
• 50g/2oz mild Cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• Fresh rocket or watercress leaves, to garnish

For the Parsley Pesto:

• 2 x 20g packs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 25g/1oz grated Parmesan cheese
• 25g/1oz raw cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 75ml/5tbsp extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.
2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the potato slices for 10 minutes, turning regularly until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
3. In the same pan, cook the mince with the garlic, seasoning and paprika for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Lay half the potatoes over the base of a 20cm/8inch non-stick square cake tin, followed by the courgettes, peppers and mince mixture. Add the remaining potatoes then the cheese.
5. Season the eggs and pour into the tin. Leave for 1-2 minutes for the egg mixture to settle.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes then set aside to cool slightly for 15-20 minutes then cut into bite-size pieces and serve warm.
7. Meanwhile prepare the pesto; place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste and serve with the bites.

Handy cook's tip:

Don't forget to cut these up before you go!

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