Make dinner the easiest thing you do all day with these 64 easy mince recipes.
Cheese and pesto stuffed meatballs al forno
Colin Fassnidge and Anthony Puharich take simple beef mince and make cheese-stuffed meatballs, perfect for an easy, hearty dinner.
One-pan pasta with harissa bolognese
“From start to finish, this bolognese is made in one roasting pan – the pasta cooks directly in the sauce. It may seem counterintuitive to chop dried manicotti or cannelloni, but there is a method to the madness: it’s nearly impossible to break the dried pasta in half exactly, so you end up with some shards, which become lovely and crisp, and some tubes, which hold the sauce very nicely. The kick and thick consistency of the Tunisian harissa brand Le Phare du Cap Bon isespecially nice, but any kind will work – just note that the spice level and texture of the final dish will reflectthe harissa you choose. Sprinkle this dish with additional cheese before serving, if you’d like” – Yotam Ottolenghi.
Maggie's bolognese
We can bet you’ve never had bolognese like this before.
Smoky beef ragout and pumpkin lasagne
I love to make this dish a day in advance as the flavour only gets better overnight, says Shannon. Yes Chef!Smoky beef ragout and pumpkin lasagne
Sausage and egg McMuffin
Never one to shy from a challenge, we tasked Wazza to apply all his knowledge and technical training (fancy pants Le Cordon Bleu, no less) to see if he could take on the classic McDonald’s sausage and egg McMuffin.
The Big Mac
We’ve decoded the Big Mac sauce and burger recipe.
Classic lasagne
Buffalo mozzarella and parmesan cheese make this traditional lasagne extra cheesy.
Meatballs with tomato sauce
Everyone’s mum has a meatball recipe – but you can bet your bottom dollar that Alla Wolf-Tasker’s mum’s meatballs are going to be worth the effort!
Spiced kangaroo sausage rolls
It doesn’t get more Aussie than kangaroo mince sausage rolls.
Hole-in-the-wall beef skewers
These skewers are best enjoyed when slathered in hummus and laid on a flatbread. This is an edited extract from Saffron in the Souks by John Gregory-Smith, published by Hachette Australia (hardback RRP $40). Food photography by Nassima Rothacker. Location photography by Alan Keohane.
Smoky albondigas (aka Spanish meatballs)
The name sounds like a Norteño musician who’s decided to move to Nashville and play country, but this is actually the absolute top favourite tapita – that is, a little tapa – of all time. When the tapas craze first took hold in every bar in every land, often with no relation to the original bar snack from Spain, this was the one that resonated with me. It still does. It doesn’t matter whether I’m on a bar crawl in Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián or Seville, this is the little plate I’m looking for. Basically, I’m so friendly with albondigas I keep hoping one day they’ll say, “You can call me Al.” This is an edited extract from Yummy Easy Quick: Around the World by Matt Preston. Published by Plum, RRP $39.99. Photography by Mark Roper.
Mexican meatball soup
“This is a Mexican family classic” – Hayden Quinn.
Silverbeet polpettine
“I love to make a big batch of these polpettine and freeze them to have later for a quick weeknight dinner. These also work really well wrapped in Swiss chard or cabbage leaves” – Justine Schofield. This is an edited extract from The Weeknight Cookbook by Justine Schofield with photography by Jeremy Simons (Plum, $34.99).
Paleo 'quarter pounder'
“You might be surprised to learn that when I was 14 years old I worked at McDonald’s. And I haveto say it was a great gift in a work sense, as it taught me about systems, organisation, team workand cleanliness. I have put my own spin on the classic quarter pounder and used a paleo bun,organic grass-fed beef and pumpkin cheese. This burger is a great way to bring you out of ketosis.Or if you want to stay in ketosis, enjoy the patties on their own or wrapped in lettuce leaves” – Pete Evans. This is an edited extract from ‘Easy Keto’ by Pete Evans, Published by Plum, RRP $24.99, Photography by William Meppem.
Maple-glazed meatloaf
“Mum’s favourite recipe with a few twists” – Hayden Quinn. Maple-glazed meatloaf
FAQs
I have seen the topside and the chuck (both tough cuts) as the most commonly used cuts to mince. Both have their advantages: Topside is quite lean and for this reason, once minced, would be suitable for bolognaise (or bolognaise related meals).
What's the difference between ground beef and mince? ›
The terms “ground meat” and “minced meat” are sometimes used interchangeably. But they indicate two techniques for processing raw meat: ground meat is an emulsion of lean meat and fat, whereas minced meat is finely chopped skeletal-muscle meat. Ground meat is consistent and smooth; minced meat is choppy and textured.
What is the trick to cooking ground beef? ›
Place the ground meat in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. The most important trick to browning ground beef is using a wooden spoon ($6, Amazon) or heatproof spatula to break up the meat into equal-size pieces as it cooks. This ensures that all the ground beef pieces brown evenly.
What do you use to make your own ground beef? ›
Ground beef usually comes from one of three cuts: chuck, round or sirloin. Chuck is my favorite choice; it's a little fattier than the others, but gives great flavor.
What makes mince taste better? ›
Consider the fat content of mince before you buy. Beef mince, and sometimes lamb, is graded by its fat content, and remember that some fat is desirable as it adds flavour and helps to keep the meat moist during cooking. The standard fat content of mince is 20%, but you can opt for a lean or extra-lean version.
How do you make minced meat taste better? ›
If you want to bump up the umami, you could add a few teaspoon of Worcestershire and/or mushroom ketchup. Cooked ground beef really doesn't have any real taste so it is necessary to season it up. You can use just salt and pepper or you can add virtually anything to it like jalapenos, peppers, onions, etc.
What is minced beef called? ›
Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloaf, meatballs, and kofta.
What is the most flavorful ground beef? ›
80% lean ground chuck (shoulder) will be the juiciest and most flavorful. It's also the grind I recommend for making burgers for the grill. It has the perfect fat-to-meat ratio. These burgers will still be juicy when grilled to the recommended internal temperature of 160 degrees.
What ground beef is best for spaghetti? ›
Generally, the best ground beef for a spaghetti sauce is ground chuck because it contains more fat than ground sirloin and ground round. More fat means more flavor, and you can always drain excess fat. It is also important to slowly brown the meet at medium-high heat so that it does not loses its moisture too quickly.
Are burgers just minced beef? ›
Choose your meat
Choose a standard minced meat (usually around 20% fat) or, if you are set on leaner cuisine, then 10 % fat is okay, but don't go for less. Beef is the typical meat used in burgers but you could use lamb or pork, or a mixture of beef and pork.
Place the mince in the pan and break it up, then let it sit without moving for 2-3 minutes at a time to develop a crust. Alternate between breaking up the mince and letting it sit to brown until it's coloured to your liking. Mince is cooked when the temperature has reached 75°C.
What is minced meat used for? ›
Mincemeat is essentially a mixture of chopped dried fruits, distilled spirits, a combination of spices, beef suet, and (traditionally) chopped meat which is usually used as a pie or pastry filling.
How do you create a mince? ›
Mincing is taking something that is roughly chopped and then chopping it finely. Put one hand flat on top of the knife while moving the knife over the chopped pile. Occasionally, use the heel of the knife to gather the pile back together. This will work for a recipe that calls for finely chopped or minced ingredients.
Can I mince beef in a food processor? ›
The answer is of course you can! Today's food processors come with advanced technology that enables it to process various types of food, including grinding meat. Some food processors are even equipped with titanium coated blades which will help you grind meat with the texture that you want.
Is it cheaper to mince your own beef? ›
Adding Up the Savings. The money savings for grinding your own beef are substantial, especially if you are able to stock up on meat when it is on sale. To do an actual cost comparison, we had to take into account the waste (fat and bone) to see if we were really saving money.
