This is a regular in our house. Everyone loves it because it tastes delicious, it is hearty and I serve it with scrumptious sides. I love it because the kids have no idea how many vegetables they are eating, it is quick and easy, you can toss in whatever is hanging around in the fridge after their friends have gone, everyone loves it and it's delicious!!
I have a fussy eater. She likes fairly bland food, doesn't like lots of texture and doesn't like to mix her foodstuffs. Unless it's to add sauce. She's just beginning to venture out of her food safety zone (at almost 8yo) and try new foods. She loves this dish!!! What's more... I can freeze it in fussy 8yo meal sized portions so that when we want to enjoy a meal I know she'll loathe I can fish a ready made meal out of the freezer so she can also have a meal she enjoys.
Here's my recipe:
1kg Minced Beef*
3 rashers bacon
1 large brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic chopped or minced (add more if you like garlic)
2 medium sized carrots, grated
2 medium sized zucchinis, grated
6-8 largeish mushrooms
(These are the basics... add whatever you have in the fridge or pantry. Try broccoli, capsicum, green beans, kidney beans.)
1 large can diced tomatoes (or 6-8 large ripe tomatoes)
1 large can Heinz Tomato Soup (This is my secret weapon!!! And it has to be Heinz... the other brands just don't have the right mix of herbs for my liking.)
A dash of worchestershire sauce (you can leave this out if you'd rather)
Basil
Parsley
Oregano
(Add spices to your own taste. Don't be heavy handed... herbs enhance, not take over, a dish.)
1 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste
Brown the onion in some oil.
Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes.
Add the mince and cook until browned.
Add the vegetables.
Add the soup.
Add the spices to taste.
Let this simmer for a couple of hours on the stove. It really does make the flavour mindblowing. If you need dinner to be ready like 5 minutes ago microwave the grated and chopped veges before adding them.
Serve with:
.... grated parmesan cheese
.... warm, crusty bread or rolls
.... rice
.... corn chips
.... pasta
.... make lasagne
.... place in a casserole dish, top with puff pastry, pop in the oven to make a pie
.... thicken and make sausage rolls
.... wrap in tortillas with tomato, avocado, lettuce and grated cheese
We are having this for dinner tonight!! :)
*I try not to buy the cheap supermarket mince because it has added water. Yes, water. In their pursuit of the sweet, almighty dollar some supermarkets (and butchers) have been known to add water to meats to boost the weight. So you end up paying about $8 a kg for mince that is sometimes half water. That's $8 a litre for water people!!! You know that liquid in the bottom of the pan when you brown the mince?? It's water. This also means that the minced beef doesn't cook or brown as it should because it's boiling in water and loses it's flavour.
I have a fussy eater. She likes fairly bland food, doesn't like lots of texture and doesn't like to mix her foodstuffs. Unless it's to add sauce. She's just beginning to venture out of her food safety zone (at almost 8yo) and try new foods. She loves this dish!!! What's more... I can freeze it in fussy 8yo meal sized portions so that when we want to enjoy a meal I know she'll loathe I can fish a ready made meal out of the freezer so she can also have a meal she enjoys.
Here's my recipe:
1kg Minced Beef*
3 rashers bacon
1 large brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic chopped or minced (add more if you like garlic)
2 medium sized carrots, grated
2 medium sized zucchinis, grated
6-8 largeish mushrooms
(These are the basics... add whatever you have in the fridge or pantry. Try broccoli, capsicum, green beans, kidney beans.)
1 large can diced tomatoes (or 6-8 large ripe tomatoes)
1 large can Heinz Tomato Soup (This is my secret weapon!!! And it has to be Heinz... the other brands just don't have the right mix of herbs for my liking.)
A dash of worchestershire sauce (you can leave this out if you'd rather)
Basil
Parsley
Oregano
(Add spices to your own taste. Don't be heavy handed... herbs enhance, not take over, a dish.)
1 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste
Brown the onion in some oil.
Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes.
Add the mince and cook until browned.
Add the vegetables.
Add the soup.
Add the spices to taste.
Let this simmer for a couple of hours on the stove. It really does make the flavour mindblowing. If you need dinner to be ready like 5 minutes ago microwave the grated and chopped veges before adding them.
Serve with:
.... grated parmesan cheese
.... warm, crusty bread or rolls
.... rice
.... corn chips
.... pasta
.... make lasagne
.... place in a casserole dish, top with puff pastry, pop in the oven to make a pie
.... thicken and make sausage rolls
.... wrap in tortillas with tomato, avocado, lettuce and grated cheese
We are having this for dinner tonight!! :)
*I try not to buy the cheap supermarket mince because it has added water. Yes, water. In their pursuit of the sweet, almighty dollar some supermarkets (and butchers) have been known to add water to meats to boost the weight. So you end up paying about $8 a kg for mince that is sometimes half water. That's $8 a litre for water people!!! You know that liquid in the bottom of the pan when you brown the mince?? It's water. This also means that the minced beef doesn't cook or brown as it should because it's boiling in water and loses it's flavour.
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