The best savoury mince

Mince. You either love it or hate it. Personally, and obviously I love it. So easy and versatile and able to be loaded with flavour.

Today I'm recreating something from my childhood. A weekly staple was mince on rice. For my husband too, but they sometimes had theirs with mashed potato, which is what we've done tonight. As kids it wasn't quite as refined. Literally mince cooked with onion, tomato sauce and frozen mixed vegetables, so I wanted to give our childhood staple an upgrade.

Half way through cooking I realised this is kind of just a deconstructed cottage pie, but either way, this should become your go to mince mix, do a double batch and freeze some too. The kids devoured it (the little one definitely takes after me, licking his plate clean of every last morsel) and we were all so satisfied from the depth of flavour.

I have a couple of things which I think make it. You may or may not agree. 1. Celery leaves, they hold so much flavour, so as well as the stalk, I reserve the leaves and add them later when the liquid goes in. 2. Tomato sauce, now I don't usually advocate for tomato sauce on a proper meal (it's for chips and pies) but in this case it adds a little bit of sweetness and is used instead of tomato paste and sugar. Adjust your quantity to taste.

I also haven't added any salt to this, with the stock, soy and Worcestershire I don't really think it needs more. Plus we served it with mash tonight, which already has salt too. I used white wine, but any would do. I just specify drinkable. If you wouldn't drink DO NOT cook with it. If you don't want to add wine, just add an extra 1/4 cup stock, and maybe a tsp of vinegar.

Serving suggestions:

• On toast, or in a bowl with crusty bread on the side
• On rice
• On mashed potato or kumara
• As cottage pie
• Add a tin of beans and perhaps an extra cup of stock and eat it as a stew
• As a healthy pie filling
• In a baked potato

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery, leaves reserved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g beef mince
• 1/4 cup your choice of drinkable wine, optional 
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp dried parsley (2 tbsp fresh) 
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery, setting the leaves aside. 

Heat the oil to a medium heat in a large frying pan that has a lid. 

Gently saute the vegetables, stirring, till they are softened. About 5 minutes. 

Add the beef mince. Use the spoon to break the meat up, and cook till lightly browned and dry. 

Add the wine, use this to loosen any crusty bits off the bottom of the pan. 

Once the wine has cooked off, add the stock, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, soy and Worcestershire sauces, onion powder, parsley, and reserved finely chopped celery leaves.  

Simmer on a low heat, covered for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the lid. Taste, and add more tomato sauce (or soy/ Worcestershire) if desired. 

Mix the cornflour with a tiny bit of cold water to make a smooth paste, stir this into your mince, along with the frozen peas and simmer, uncovered, stirring every minute or two for 10 minutes until reduced and thickened. 

Serve in one of the ways suggested above. 

Cheat's Lasagne

Okay, so I'll admit this from the start, if you're a purist - this isn't exactly lasagne, but if you're lazy like me and want the meat, pasta, cheese combo baked into something that you can serve (and freeze if you want) easily, then this is your jam! When I say easy, I mean EASY. Traditional lasagne takes time to prep and lots of pots and pans - you have to cook the meat sauce, cook the pasta and make a white sauce before assembling and baking again. This cheat lasagne however, simply mix, layer, and leave for 5 or 6 hours then devour! Yes, there is absolutely NO pre-cooking required. And to make it even easier, mix everything in the food processor! You can thank me later. 

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 400 g tin of tomatoes 
• 500 g beef mince 
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp cracked pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 250 g dried lasagne or pasta shapes (spiral would also work well) 
• 4 tsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 cup milk 
• 2 eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese 

Preheat the slow cooker by turning it on high, and oiling the dish. (Alternatively you could bake it in the oven on 120 degrees Celsius for 5 hours.  

In the food processor, chop onion, garlic, carrot and zucchini till well minced. Add the stock, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, mince, oregano, salt and pepper and mix till well combined. 

Layer the mince with the dried pasta into the slow cooker dish. Use 1/4 of your mince mixture first, spreading evenly, then 1/2 of the dried pasta. Top with another quarter of the mince mixture, then the other half of the dried pasta. Finally put the remaining half of the mince mixture over the top. 

Scatter the grated cheese over top. Next mix your cornflour with a little of the milk till smooth, then mix in the remaining milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper and beat well. Pour this over the top of the grated cheese. Turn your slow cooker onto low, cover and leave for 4-6 hours till cooked through and beginning to brown on top. Every slow cooker is different - in mine, it is done perfectly after 5 hours, so keep an eye on yours the first time to get the perfect cooking time. 

Slice and serve with garlic bread and either salad or steamed vegetables. 

Family Mince and Cheese Pie

 It might nearly be spring, but the weather is still pretty wet and cold, so comforting warming food is just what we need. I got the inspiration for this recipe when a friend of mine was telling me about the steak and ale pie she was making; I of course didn't have any steak in the fridge, but decided to make a pie using the things I already had on hand. I always keep a block of puff pastry in the freezer (ideal for whipping up mini quiches like these B&E Mini Pies for a picnic lunch or unexpected guests), and usually a packet of mince too. 

I wanted this to be really hearty, packed with meat and flavour and not like one of those 'disappointment  pies' you've probably picked up from a pie warmer, where the pastry is dense and there is more gravy than meat. I kept the cheese on the light side too, just enough for a flavour kick without overwhelming which is already a (let's be honest) indulgent meal. I used water and stock cubes, however if you wanted more of that ale flavour, just sub the water for beer, and dissolve the stock cubes straight in the pan. The mince mixture freezes well, as would the cooked pies. You could also use Texas muffin pans to make individual pies, I did consider doing this, but for me, cooking should be easy, and if I'm frank, I couldn't be faffed mucking around with rolling out loads of mini pie cases. 

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 500 grams premium beef mince
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• pinch chilli flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 2 beef stock cubes 
• 300 ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp flour 
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce 
• 300 grams puff pastry, thawed
• 100 grams of tasty cheese, sliced roughly 

In a large saucepan brown mince on a medium to low heat. I don't add any oil, instead let the moisture from the meat do it's thing. Use a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. 

Peel onions, carrots, and garlic and use a food processor to chop finely. This helps it meld into the sauce. Add this to the browned meat, along with thyme, chilli flakes, pepper, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, and cook stirring for another few minutes. 

Mix the beef stock cubes with the boiling water. Sprinkle the flour over the mince and stir in, then add the stock and BBQ sauce. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes till the liquid has reduced and thickened. 

Set aside to cool completely. This part can be done a day ahead if you wish. 

Oil a pie dish, and preheat your oven to 190 degrees celsius. Roll two thirds of your pastry to fit the pie dishes base and sides. Remove the bay leaves from the mince mixture and fill it into the pie dish. Crumble the slices of cheese over the mince. Roll the remaining pastry to fit the top of the pie dish. Crimp the edges together with your fingers to seal the pie. Prick the top to allow steam to escape. 

Bake for 25 minutes till golden and the filling is hot. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.  

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I think spaghetti and meatballs is, or should be, a family favourite in every household. It's basic, rustic, but a step up from plain Spaghetti Bolognese. Rather than frying off my meatballs first I like to cook them directly in the sauce. This lends a delicious richness to the sauce and the fat from the mince helps to make it thicker and tastier. Not to mention it's much easier to let them gently simmer away than deal with frying and turning them in a hot pan.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6): 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 onions, finely diced
• 3 - 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil 
• 1/2 cup of your favourite red wine (optional) 
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt, to taste

For the Meatballs

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp cracked peppercorns
• 1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of parmesan, finely grated
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs 
• 500 grams lean beef mince 
• 1 egg

• 400 grams of fresh pasta, or 400 grams of dried spaghetti* 
• shaved parmesan and chopped parsley to serve

Over a medium low temperature, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan that has a lid. Add the onions, and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes till softened. Add the carrots, garlic, oregano and basil. Cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes. 

Pour in the red wine, if using, increase heat and cook until the wine has nearly evaporated before adding the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer, leaving for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt. 

In a large bowl combine the second measure of diced onion, oregano, cracked pepper, parsley, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Add the mince, and egg and mix well. Often using clean hands is easier than mixing with a spoon. 

Once well combined, separate mince mixture into four equal sized portions, then break each portion into four smaller portions. Finally half each of those, so that ultimately you end up with 32 equal sized balls. As I make each ball I place it into the sauce. Place the lid on the saucepan and simmer on the lowest heat, for about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Place pasta in the pot and cook, uncovered according to packet directions. Once cooked, drain well and toss through some quality extra virgin olive oil - this adds flavour, and stops the pasta from sticking together. 

After 5 or so minutes of the meatballs simmering, use a spatula or tongs to gently turn the meatballs over in the sauce, and make sure that there is nothing sticking to the bottom. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes, select a meatball and test that it is cooked through, if so serve on top of freshly cooked pasta. Top with freshly shaved parmesan and chopped parsley. 

* When I have the time I like to make fresh fettuccine to go with our meatballs. The taste difference really is spectacular. I was lucky enough to go to Italian cooking classes about 7 years ago, and ever since, my home made pasta is fail proof. The mix per person is 1 egg to every 100 grams of flour. Simply mix (using hands) to form a smooth dough, then wrap in cling film and set aside on the bench for 30 minutes. After resting, roll the dough (using a pasta roller is best) to the desired thickness. Leave to dry for 10 - 20 minutes. A clothes horse can be useful for this if you are making a lot. Finally either hand cut into fettuccine or run back through the pasta roller with the cutter attachment on the desired size. 

Lamb Filo Pie

Filo is a great way to get your pie fix, without the heaviness that pastry can sometimes have. You still get the crunchy flaky pastry and buttery flavour, but is less filling. I also like working with filo pastry, there's something quite therapeutic about brushing it with all that butter, don't be shy with the butter either, it does make for crispier more flavourful pastry. However in saying that, don't go overboard either, soggy is not appetising! I usually brush around the edges, then a couple of criss crosses through the middle. 

This pie is moroccan spiced and works beautifully with a feta, tomato and olive salad. 

Ingredients (serves 4-6): 

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500 grams of lamb mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper 
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 cup of pumpkin, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 300 grams filo pastry sheets
• 60 grams butter, melted
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds 

Method: 

In a frypan, heat oil, and on a medium heat, saute lamb, with cumin and fennel seeds till browned, about 5 minutes. 

Add the onion, garlic, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes till onions soften. 

Add the cubes of eggplant, pumpkin and tomato. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 - 15 minutes till vegetables are softened. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. 

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius and grease a 30 cm ovenproof frypan or round baking dish. 

Melt the butter. Lay one sheet of filo on a clean bench and brush it with melted butter, top with another sheet of pastry. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the lamb mixture along the long edge of the pastry and then roll up like a sausage roll. Place this on the outside edge of the baking dish. 

Repeat with remaining pastry and filling, working from the outside, spiralling them in towards the centre. 

Once completed, sprinkle with sesame seeds and place the dish in a hot oven for 25 minutes till the pastry is crispy and golden. 

Slice wedges of the pie and serve with a feta, tomato and olive salad.