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On the Menu - April 2019
7 Dinners From One Basic Mix
I love one pan dinners. I love easy dinners. I love quick dinners. And I love budget-friendly dinners.
I just love this simple mince based mix because it makes seven one-pan dinner, easily, quickly and within my grocery budget. They are ideal for the $300 a Month Food Challenge and you can put seven dinners in the fridge (or the freezer) in under one hour!
The Basic Mince Mixture
All these recipes start with a basic mince mixture. I bought mince on sale for $5.99/kg, the mix takes two kilos of mince, so the meat component cost $12. That brings the meat component of each meal down to just $1.70 per meal - well under my budgeted $5 per meal!
That is so exciting, and not just because they're cheap meals, but because that frees up $3.30 that I can shift to another meal. The seven meals have freed up $23.10 in the meat budget, and that is how I can afford to buy legs of lamb or roasting beef or even corned beef on our $320 a month grocery budget!
Basic Mince Mixture
Ingredients:
2kg minced beef
2 cups TVP
2 cups boiling water
2 cups boiling stock - beef or vegetable
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tbsp onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Method:
Brown the mince and drain (I rinse it under hot running water - I catch that water to use to feed the pot plants). Put the mince and the TVP in the slow cooker. Stir. Add the boiling water and the stock and stir. Add the garlic granules, onion flakes, salt and pepper.
Cook on HIGH for 1-1/2 hours. Stir regularly. Check to see if the TVP is soft; if it's not, cook a further 15 minutes and check again.
Divide the mixture into 2 cup lots, and store in the fridge if you are going to use it straightaway. If not, freeze it until needed.
Use this basic mince mixture to make the following seven meals:
I just love this simple mince based mix because it makes seven one-pan dinner, easily, quickly and within my grocery budget. They are ideal for the $300 a Month Food Challenge and you can put seven dinners in the fridge (or the freezer) in under one hour!
The Basic Mince Mixture
All these recipes start with a basic mince mixture. I bought mince on sale for $5.99/kg, the mix takes two kilos of mince, so the meat component cost $12. That brings the meat component of each meal down to just $1.70 per meal - well under my budgeted $5 per meal!
That is so exciting, and not just because they're cheap meals, but because that frees up $3.30 that I can shift to another meal. The seven meals have freed up $23.10 in the meat budget, and that is how I can afford to buy legs of lamb or roasting beef or even corned beef on our $320 a month grocery budget!
Basic Mince Mixture
Ingredients:
2kg minced beef
2 cups TVP
2 cups boiling water
2 cups boiling stock - beef or vegetable
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tbsp onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Method:
Brown the mince and drain (I rinse it under hot running water - I catch that water to use to feed the pot plants). Put the mince and the TVP in the slow cooker. Stir. Add the boiling water and the stock and stir. Add the garlic granules, onion flakes, salt and pepper.
Cook on HIGH for 1-1/2 hours. Stir regularly. Check to see if the TVP is soft; if it's not, cook a further 15 minutes and check again.
Divide the mixture into 2 cup lots, and store in the fridge if you are going to use it straightaway. If not, freeze it until needed.
Use this basic mince mixture to make the following seven meals:
Beefy Mushroom Pies
Use your pie maker and bought pastry to make eight pies quickly.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 pkt Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix
1 carrot, grated
1 turnip or swede, grated
1 potato, grated
1 tsp Vegemite
1 cup water
4 sheets puff pastry
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. Bring to a boil and cook until thick.
Turn your pie maker on to heat. Yes, it needs to heat. If it isn't at temperature when you put the pastry in you'll end up with soggy, undercooked pies.
Cut eight bases and eight tops from the pastry. Follow the instructions for your pie maker to make eight pies.
Use your pie maker and bought pastry to make eight pies quickly.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 pkt Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix
1 carrot, grated
1 turnip or swede, grated
1 potato, grated
1 tsp Vegemite
1 cup water
4 sheets puff pastry
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. Bring to a boil and cook until thick.
Turn your pie maker on to heat. Yes, it needs to heat. If it isn't at temperature when you put the pastry in you'll end up with soggy, undercooked pies.
Cut eight bases and eight tops from the pastry. Follow the instructions for your pie maker to make eight pies.
Aussie Style Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
250g pasta
1 tin tomato soup
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 cup grated cheese
Method:
Cook the pasta as per the directions on the packet. Drain well.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, tomato soup, onion, zucchini, carrot and diced tomatoes. Mix well. Stir through cooked pasta. Pour into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
250g pasta
1 tin tomato soup
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 cup grated cheese
Method:
Cook the pasta as per the directions on the packet. Drain well.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, tomato soup, onion, zucchini, carrot and diced tomatoes. Mix well. Stir through cooked pasta. Pour into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Enchiladas
One of our favourite quick meals, this recipe freezes really well too.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 tin baked beans, whizzed in the food processor
1 tin diced tomatoes
2 - 3 tsp MOO Taco Seasoning
1 quantity MOO Enchilada Sauce
8 small or 4 large tortillas or wraps*
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Spray a lasagne dish or baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, baked beans, diced tomatoes and MOO Taco Seasoning and stir well.
Lay tortillas or wraps out flat. Divide mince mixture between the tortillas. Fold up to make enchiladas.
Place seam side down in baking dish.
Cover with MOO Enchilada Sauce.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted.
Dot with salsa and sour cream to serve.
Notes:
If I don't have tortillas or wraps I use pita bread that has been split in half or Mountain Bread or very thin, almost crepes, pancakes.
If I am making this dish to freeze I use a disposable foil tray (that I was and reuse over and over - it just frees up baking dishes) and get everything ready to the baking stage. To bake, I take it from the freezer and let it thaw about 30 minutes, remove the cover, and bake for 45 minutes, checking to see if it is hot through. If it's not hot all the way through bake a further 30 minutes.
One of our favourite quick meals, this recipe freezes really well too.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 tin baked beans, whizzed in the food processor
1 tin diced tomatoes
2 - 3 tsp MOO Taco Seasoning
1 quantity MOO Enchilada Sauce
8 small or 4 large tortillas or wraps*
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Spray a lasagne dish or baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, baked beans, diced tomatoes and MOO Taco Seasoning and stir well.
Lay tortillas or wraps out flat. Divide mince mixture between the tortillas. Fold up to make enchiladas.
Place seam side down in baking dish.
Cover with MOO Enchilada Sauce.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted.
Dot with salsa and sour cream to serve.
Notes:
If I don't have tortillas or wraps I use pita bread that has been split in half or Mountain Bread or very thin, almost crepes, pancakes.
If I am making this dish to freeze I use a disposable foil tray (that I was and reuse over and over - it just frees up baking dishes) and get everything ready to the baking stage. To bake, I take it from the freezer and let it thaw about 30 minutes, remove the cover, and bake for 45 minutes, checking to see if it is hot through. If it's not hot all the way through bake a further 30 minutes.
Cottage Pie
Ingredients:
3 - 4 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and dry mashed
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup beef stock
3 tsp gravy powder
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, peas, corn, carrot and beef stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until carrot is soft. Stir in gravy powder. Cook until mixture thickens. Pour into casserole dish. Cover with mashed potato. Scrape top with a fork to create peaks. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes until potato has browned and the mince mixture is bubbling.
Ingredients:
3 - 4 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and dry mashed
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup beef stock
3 tsp gravy powder
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Combine Basic Mince Mixture, peas, corn, carrot and beef stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until carrot is soft. Stir in gravy powder. Cook until mixture thickens. Pour into casserole dish. Cover with mashed potato. Scrape top with a fork to create peaks. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes until potato has browned and the mince mixture is bubbling.
Cabbage Rolls
These are not traditional cabbage rolls at all, but they are the way my mother made them and there was never leftovers! Coming into winter they will be on our meal plan often, and, like when Mum made them, there won't be leftovers!
Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
3 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked rice
1-1/2 cups + 1/3 cup pasta sauce, divided
1 can tomato soup
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Remove the leaves from the cabbage (see notes).
Boil cabbage leaves about 2 minutes or until soft. Drain well and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Spray a lasagne dish with cooking spray.
Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Drain and set aside.
Cook Basic Mince Mixture, onions, garlic and parsley until onion is soft. Add rice, diced tomatoes and 1/3 cup of pasta sauce. Stir in egg.
Mix remaining pasta sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of the lasagne dish.
Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. (See note for small leaves). Repeat with remaining cabbage.
Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 1-1/4 hours. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
To remove leaves from head of cabbage, cut approximately 6mm (1/4") off the bottom of the head and place the whole head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil about 2 minutes. Carefully peel off the softened leaves. Place remaining head back in the boiling water and repeat until all of the leaves are removed. Remove any tough stems from cooked leaves by using a sharp knife and cutting in a 'V' shape along the stem.
If you have smaller leaves just overlap the leaves as needed and fill. The rolls will still cook up perfectly.
These are not traditional cabbage rolls at all, but they are the way my mother made them and there was never leftovers! Coming into winter they will be on our meal plan often, and, like when Mum made them, there won't be leftovers!
Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
3 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked rice
1-1/2 cups + 1/3 cup pasta sauce, divided
1 can tomato soup
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Remove the leaves from the cabbage (see notes).
Boil cabbage leaves about 2 minutes or until soft. Drain well and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Spray a lasagne dish with cooking spray.
Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Drain and set aside.
Cook Basic Mince Mixture, onions, garlic and parsley until onion is soft. Add rice, diced tomatoes and 1/3 cup of pasta sauce. Stir in egg.
Mix remaining pasta sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of the lasagne dish.
Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. (See note for small leaves). Repeat with remaining cabbage.
Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 1-1/4 hours. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
To remove leaves from head of cabbage, cut approximately 6mm (1/4") off the bottom of the head and place the whole head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil about 2 minutes. Carefully peel off the softened leaves. Place remaining head back in the boiling water and repeat until all of the leaves are removed. Remove any tough stems from cooked leaves by using a sharp knife and cutting in a 'V' shape along the stem.
If you have smaller leaves just overlap the leaves as needed and fill. The rolls will still cook up perfectly.
Beef Chow Mien
Again, not a traditional recipe, but one we love because it's tasty and quick.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 cup frozen beans
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 onion, diced
1 green capsicum, finely diced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup water
200g rice noodles*
Method:
Place Basic Mince Mixture, beans, cabbage, onion, capsicum and curry powder and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes or until onion and cabbage have softened. In the meantime cook the rice noodles as per the directions on the packet. Drain well. Add the noodles to the mince mixture and stir through until well combined. Serve hot.
Notes:
*If you don't have rice noodles, two minute noodles, without the seasoning, work just as well in this recipe.
Again, not a traditional recipe, but one we love because it's tasty and quick.
Ingredients:
2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
1 cup frozen beans
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 onion, diced
1 green capsicum, finely diced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup water
200g rice noodles*
Method:
Place Basic Mince Mixture, beans, cabbage, onion, capsicum and curry powder and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes or until onion and cabbage have softened. In the meantime cook the rice noodles as per the directions on the packet. Drain well. Add the noodles to the mince mixture and stir through until well combined. Serve hot.
Notes:
*If you don't have rice noodles, two minute noodles, without the seasoning, work just as well in this recipe.
Cheesy Saturday Night Jaffles
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 slices thick cut white bread or wholemeal bread
4 tbsp butter
4 slices cheese
Method:
Pre-heat jaffle maker.
Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter; stack buttered sides together to make four sandwiches.
Stir tomato paste into Basic Meat Mixture until well combined.
Top bread with cheese slices.
Dividing mixture evenly, top with the meat sauce, spreading out to leaving a 1cm border. Place slice of bread with filling, buttered side down into jaffle maker. Then top with remaining bread, buttered side up.
Cooking in 2 batches, cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and toasted.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Basic Mince Mixture
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 slices thick cut white bread or wholemeal bread
4 tbsp butter
4 slices cheese
Method:
Pre-heat jaffle maker.
Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter; stack buttered sides together to make four sandwiches.
Stir tomato paste into Basic Meat Mixture until well combined.
Top bread with cheese slices.
Dividing mixture evenly, top with the meat sauce, spreading out to leaving a 1cm border. Place slice of bread with filling, buttered side down into jaffle maker. Then top with remaining bread, buttered side up.
Cooking in 2 batches, cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and toasted.
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