Nine beef mince recipes for weeknights and weekends: bolognese, creamy tomato beef pasta, Korean beef bowls, smash tacos, a Mexican beef and bean bake and more.
A packet of beef mince is one of the most flexible things you can bring home. It browns in minutes, takes on almost any flavour, and stretches a long way once it meets pasta, rice or tortillas.
These are the mince dinners we'd reach for first, from a slow Sunday sauce to a 20-minute rice bowl. Some of the recipes are American and call it ground beef, which is the same thing. If you know what you're pairing it with, the narrower guides go deeper: beef and pasta, beef and rice, beef and tortillas, beef and potatoes and beef and beans.
01
The Cookie Rookie3 hr 30 min4 servingsWeekendStart with Beef Bolognese from The Cookie Rookie for a classic, slow-simmered sauce that's worth making in a big batch.
It takes a few hours, but most of that is the pot doing the work. Make double and you have the base for pasta, lasagne or jaffles later in the week.
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02
RecipeTin Eats30 min4 servingsWeeknightFor the weeknight version, make Creamy tomato beef pasta from RecipeTin Eats which gets mince and pasta on the table in about half an hour.
It's the one to make when everyone wants bolognese and nobody wants to wait for it.
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03RecipeTin Eats25 min5 servingsWeeknightIf there's rice in the pantry, try Beef and Rice with Veggies from RecipeTin Eats which turns mince, rice and vegetables into a complete dinner in under half an hour.
It's relaxed about the veg, so it's a good way to finish a bag of frozen peas and corn or a couple of tired carrots.
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04When you'd otherwise order takeaway, make Korean Beef Bowl from Well Plated where mince cooks in a sweet, savoury sauce and goes over rice.
Twenty minutes is quicker than delivery, and leftovers make a good lunch the next day.
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05For the fastest dinner here, try Smash Tacos from Well Plated where mince is pressed thin onto tortillas and cooked until crisp.
Ten minutes start to finish. Set out cheese, lettuce and sauce and let everyone build their own.
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06When the budget is tight, make Ground Beef and Potatoes from Well Plated for a hearty dinner that stretches a little mince with a lot of potato.
Mince and potatoes are two of the cheapest ways to feed a family, and together they don't feel like a compromise.
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07RecipeTin Eats45 min5 servingsFamily mealTo feed a crowd, bake Cheesy Mexican beef and bean bake from RecipeTin Eats which stretches the mince further with beans and finishes with a cheesy top.
It's the kind of bake that's just as good the next day, so leftovers are something to look forward to.
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08The Cookie Rookie45 min6 servingsCosyOn a cold night, make Stuffed Pepper Soup (Instant Pot) from The Cookie Rookie which turns everything you'd stuff into a capsicum into a hearty soup.
It's written for an Instant Pot, so check the recipe notes if you're cooking it in a regular pot on the stove.
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09RecipeTin Eats30 min25 servingsEntertainingAnd for a party, roll Cheeseburger Party Meatballs from RecipeTin Eats for cheeseburger flavour in bite-sized pieces.
They're made for parties, but a half batch with chips and salad makes a fun Friday dinner.
Open in PantryPalMince fits almost any direction, so let the rest of the kitchen decide. Add what's in your fridge to PantryPal and it'll match the mince with what's already there.
