Recipe for a simple (but incredibly tasty) and fairly cheap Pilchard Bake, as requested. (Serves 1. Simply scale up as required):
Open a 155g can of Glenryck Atlantic Pilchards in Tomato Sauce. (Larger branches of Asda sell these small cans. Most other supermarkets only have the 425g cans).
Empty contents into a fairly shallow, oven-proof dish. (Mine's oval, about 7" by 5" and 1�" deep).
Remove bones and mash the fish and sauce to a pulp, spreading evenly across the base of the dish.
Sprinkle with ground black pepper.
Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the top. (It's probably best to par boil them first or, simpler, just slice up some canned 'Value' new potatoes).
Sprinkle with more black pepper.
Place a layer of sliced cheese on top. (Mature cheddar is best. It's dearer than the really cheap cheeses but it adds a lot more to the flavour).
Yet more black pepper!
Smear a thin layer of English mustard across the top. (Use the back of a spoon, or your fingers. If you try to do it with a knife, all you'll do is move the cheese about).
Place in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 6 (200C) for about 30 minutes.
Serve with whatever seems appropriate to you. Sliced green beans go well, as does sweetcorn.
Just a thought: I suggested gas mark 6 for 30 minutes. I'll often leave it in the oven that long but it's not really necessary, since there's nothing that actually needs cooking. (It's simply a matter of heating everything up until the cheese melts). You could probably use gas mark 4 for 15 minutes and get the same result!
Oh I like the sounds of those Chris - Thanku. Pilchards bizarrely is one of those things that I never think of buying, no idea why. And I used to buy tinned potatoes - had forgotten all about them tbh!