16 Tasty Dinners with Ground Meat/Mince: Affordable Family Favourites
This website may earn commissions from purchases made through links in this post.
Quick, budget-friendly dinners made with ground meat/mince! Get inspired with easy, family-approved recipes for beef, chicken, lamb, and more.
The bell tinkles as we open the door and step into the coolness.
Nothing entombed in plastic and Styrofoam, instead a raw but fresh smell, mingling with a hint of lemon disinfectant.
The blue and white striped apron, the strong, meaty hands that wield the cleaver.
Chop.
“What’ll it be, luv?”
I grew up in a country town where there were almost as many butchers as there were pubs.
Almost.
There was the one next to the corner shop with a display in the shopfront window, little bits of parsley tucked in amongst the cuts.
Another on the corner of George and Russell, where a boy I went to school with was apprenticed – his last name, appropriately, was Lamb. I kid you not.
Then there was the butcher – a Master Chef in his own right – who always had a recipe suggestion to try and a few ‘special cuts’ at the back of the shop.
They’re all gone now.
Lost to the supermarkets and the big-chain, shopping centre butchers who get their meat pre-cut and prepacked in large boxes.
“I’ll have 2 kilos of mince thanks. The special.”
And those strong hands would sink into the mince and always pull out the right amount, then deftly swing the bag into a knot and hurl it thwump onto the counter.
“Anything else, luv?”
“That’ll be all today, thanks.”
Mince is the accommodating cut. It appeases the meat eaters in the family, while saving money on the groceries.
It’s one of the cheaper cuts, but it can be made even cheaper by extending with grains, lentils or beans.
And no one will ever be the wiser.
You can’t hide lentils in a steak to make it cheaper.
Mince is versatile.
Today I’ve gathered together all the mince dishes on the blog. Just a few of the many possibilities.
A trick with mince that I do when I’m organised (read rarely at the moment), is to cook up a big batch of mince with tomatoes and seasonings and freeze in meal-sized batches.
This can be turned, with a few extra spices or ingredients, into bolognaise sauce, lasagne, mince bake, savoury mince, tacos, cottage pie, the American Sloppy Joe, baked potoato toppings, chilli mince, nachos, mousaka and a whole host of other easy dinners.
What is your favourite mince dish?
Homemade Sausage Rolls with Hidden Veg
A great snack or party food, these sausage rolls include some hidden veg.
Loaded Nachos: Never Eat Ordinary Nachos Again
Chilli mince is always good to have on hand in the freezer for a quick mid-week nachos.
Pork Mince Stir Fry with Peanut Butter and Noodles
This ground pork and peanut butter stir fry is very moreish.
Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry on the Table in 20 Minutes
Pair ground beef with cabbage for something a little different in this budget-friendly stir fry.
Cheap and Tasty Chilli Mince Recipe - Minced Beef and Beans
Make a big batch of this chilli mince to freeze for later. Bulked up with beans and served with rice, it's super frugal yet full of flavour.
Mince and Vegetable Bake with Rice or Pasta
This is one my favourite casseroles. You can double-batch it and freeze it (without the cheese) for later. Bulked out with rice and veg.
Moroccan Meatballs and Couscous
A twist on traditional meatballs, these have delicate flavours of Moroccan-inspired spices and a yummy lemon sauce. Serve with couscous
Kangaroo Pie Topped with Cauliflower Puree
Ok, something a bit different but it doesn't always have to be ground beef. If you're Aussie, then kangaroo beef can be purchased at the supermarket, it's lean and full of iron.
Best Ever Beef Rissoles Recipe
A retro classic made popular by the movie The Castle (which is also kinda retro now too!) Lots of flavour.
Busy Weeknights? These Make-Ahead Baked Meatballs Have You Covered
Using make-ahead ingredients, these baked meatballs can be thrown in the oven for an easy week-night meal.
Crispy Potato Topped Cottage Pie
Inspired by the fact I only had one spud left! Thinly sliced, it makes a crispy alternative to mashed potato with fewer carbs too!
From Freezer to Plate - Veggie-Loaded Meatballs
Veggie packed meatballs that you can freeze for later.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Vegetables
Far better than store-bought, these chicken nuggets are made with ground chicken breast and include some hidden veg to up the nutrition. Can be frozen for later.
Chicken Satay Meatballs with Noodles and Vegetables
Turn chicken mince into a stir fry with this chicken meatball satay dish.
Yes Melissa those Butcher’s still exist (at least in Batlow they do). What’s my favourite – all of the above . One problem my husband won’t eat mince! I could mince rump steak in front of him or chicken and he still wouldn’t eat. Its the texture he doesn’t like. Sausages , sausage rolls and hot dogs no problem. I can get away with cubing the meat ( very small cubes) and he will eat it. (doesn’t really like pasta either or tomato based sauce).
Ho hum but in most other things he is really flexible(except carrots they are a no no ). He still eats them he just doesn’t know ( he he) :).
I have a fussy hubby, he’s not as bad as he used to be though. When we first met he wouldn’t eat any fruit and only corn and potatoes (and meat and pasta). I hide a lot of veg too – for him and the kids. :)
I love using mince and hiding lentils within is something that has been done often in this house (which is my little secret and none of the eaters were the wiser). I would love it if you could head on over and link up with our Wallet Watching Wedne$day post some of your money saving ideas! http://homesweetkitchengarden.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/how-i-fed-my-family-of-4-breakfast.html