The potatoes in this Hairy Bikers corned beef lancashire hotpot lead a double life, crisping golden on top while the bottom softens in gravy. That double act comes from their Everyday Winners recipe, feeding 4 at around 475 calories in about 2 hours.
The Bikers describe the result as heaven from a can, which is the whole spirit of the dish. Since corned beef never needs cooking through, the oven’s only jobs are melding the layers and crisping that lid of potatoes.
Everything rides on the onion gravy though, because it carries the flavour down through every layer. Flour cooks into the softened onions first, then beef stock and a spoon of purée turn it glossy before a drop touches the dish.
Hairy Bikers Corned Beef Hotpot Recipe
Description
A quick gravy of softened onions, flour, beef stock, and tomato purée comes together on the hob first. Thin potato slices then build the base of a buttered casserole, with thick corned beef, dried thyme, and sage between each layer, before an hour under the lid and a final half hour uncovered finish the bake.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Butter the dish: Heat the oven to 180°C and generously butter a large, deep casserole dish.
- Make the onion gravy: Soften the sliced onions in the butter and oil without letting them colour, then stir in the flour until a paste coats them. Add the stock and purée, then simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Build the layers: Cover the base of the dish with a third of the potato slices and season them. Layer on half the corned beef, a sprinkle of the herbs, more seasoning, and half the gravy, then repeat before finishing with the last of the potatoes pressed lightly on top.
- Bake covered: Dot the top with butter, put the lid on, then bake for 1 hour so the layers cook through in the gravy’s steam.
- Crisp the top: Take the lid off and give it another 30 minutes, until the top potatoes turn golden and crisp at the edges. The book suggests green vegetables alongside, and it is right.
FAQs
How is this different from the classic Lancashire hotpot?
The classic is a proper butcher’s dish, since the Bikers’ Lancashire hotpot builds on neck of lamb, kidneys, and even black pudding between its potato layers. This corned beef version keeps the layered soul but swaps all that browning for a can.
That makes it the faster, cheaper member of the family, and the one you can start without a trip to the butcher.
Why does the corned beef go in thick slices rather than chunks?
Thick slices hold their shape through nearly 90 minutes in the oven, so every serving keeps distinct layers of beef between the potatoes. Chopped small, tinned corned beef simply melts into the gravy and disappears.
If you love that melted effect instead, their corned beef hash is built on exactly that behaviour in a frying pan.
What other hotpots do the Hairy Bikers make?
The headnote itself celebrates a whole hotpot family, because the books also hold a veggie version, a Lancashire sausage hotpot in Meat Feasts, and the classic lamb one. This corned beef recipe was their newest addition to the line-up.
They clearly love the format, since the books even hold a beef curry hotpot in Our Family Favourites.
Can I make this hotpot in a slow cooker?
The layers survive, but the crisp top does not, since a slow cooker’s trapped steam keeps the potatoes pale and soft. Cook it on low for 6-7 hours if you must, then crisp the top under a hot grill for 10 minutes before serving.
Honestly though, the oven method is already hands-off for 90 minutes, so the slow cooker saves attention rather than effort.
What else can I make with a can of corned beef?
The Bikers treat the can as a proper ingredient across their books, so the options run deep. Their corned beef hash pie bakes it into a free-form galette with swede and carrot under a cheddar crust.
There is also the enclosed onion pie, the pan hash, and even corned beef pasties in this same Everyday Winners book. One can, five suppers, which is the whole Bikers philosophy.
