Mince is incredibly versatile and goes a long way to feed the family. It needs a small amount of fat but not too much.
Browning the mince before using for a bolognaise sauce really brings out the flavour of the meat. However, it can sometimes be difficult to separate the mince out evenly without lumps. Follow this tip by an Australian mum – use a whisk to distribute the mince meat evenly in the pan. This helps to break up the ground meat which aids in making a smooth bolognaise sauce. Give it a go next time.
So how can you be more creative with your mince?
There is always the standard bolognese sauce which cooked and frozen is an instant meal for a crazy night or for when you have little inspiration. Use it as a straight bolognese sauce with pasta, on nachos, as a filling for tacos, or as the base for your favourite lasagne. When cooking a bolognese sauce, I usually double the amount so there is enough for a meal that night then some for the freezer too.
However, you can get more adventurous with your mince! Don’t just think beef mince – consider lamb, chicken, pork and venison minces to add some variety. Try some of these ideas:
Beef mince – Sausage rolls, moussaka, your own burger patties, meatballs, as a topping for pizzas, chilli con carne, moussaka, quesadillas, cottage pie, pasta bake, shepherd’s pie, beef mince pies, or as the base for a soup. And one of my all-time old fashioned favourites “good old fashioned mince on toast” – just like mum use to make back on the farm!
Lamb mince – Rogan josh kebabs, pies, lamb meatballs, as a pizza topping, as a base for a soup
Chicken mince – Thai style burger patties, lasagne, dumplings, chicken empanadas, tacos, bao buns.
Pork mince – Dumplings, meatballs, pork chilli, fried rice. Asian flavours match well with pork mince.
Venison mince – Thyme, rosemary and sage pair well with mince as well as adding fruity flavours. Adapt your favourite meatball recipe with these herbs to create your own venison meatballs. Other ideas include a ragu, pies, lasagne.