We hope you enjoy our cookery  column with chef Paul Watters who each week will take the fear out of cooking with his easy to follow recipes...

Serves 2
 
Savoury mince
350g beef mince
1 small onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp tomato purée
300ml beef gravy
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt and cracked black pepper
1 tbsp oil
 
Sweet potato layers
1 large sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
 
Creamy cracked black pepper sauce
25g butter
25g plain flour
250ml milk
75ml double cream
1–2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
40g grated mature cheddar
Pinch of salt
 
Vegetables
2 carrots, cut into batons(or thick slices)
150g broccoli or tenderstem broccoli
1 tsp butter or olive oil
 
Prepare the sweet potato
Peel and slice the sweet potato lengthways into thin slices, about 3–4mm thick. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Roast at 190°C fan for 15–20 minutes, just until beginning to soften.
 
Make the savoury mince
Heat the oil in a pan and brown the mince well. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5–6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another minute.
 
Add the beef gravy, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Season with salt and plenty of cracked black pepper. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thick and rich. You want the mince fairly dry so the lasagne holds together.
 
Make the pepper sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the cream and simmer gently until thickened. Stir in the cheddar and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Adjust the seasoning.
 
Build the layers
In a small baking dish, layer:
Sweet potato
Savoury mince
Creamy pepper sauce
Repeat the layers, finishing with a generous layer of the creamy sauce.
Bake at 190°C fan for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
 
Vegetables
Steam or boil the carrots and broccoli until just tender. Toss with a little butter or olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper and serve.
 
Paul’s touch: Add a little fresh thyme and another grind of black pepper just before serving. The sweetness of the sweet potato works particularly well against the rich beef gravy and peppery cream sauce.