Savoury Mince

It’s cheap in a way that most dinners aren’t, since half a kilo of mince and a couple of cups of vegetables feeds four people properly. It’s one pan and there’s nothing technical in it. The peas and corn mean there’s vegetables in there without anyone having to be talked into it, and leftovers are arguably better than the first night because the gravy thickens up.

Frozen peas and corn, and whatever pre-cut vegetables you’ve got. This is not a recipe that wants you dicing carrots for 20 minutes. A bag of frozen mixed vegetables goes straight in from the freezer, and it costs less than fresh and takes no preparation at all. The flour is the other shortcut worth knowing: a tablespoon stirred through the pan with the tomato paste and stock powder thickens the water into gravy on its own, so there’s no separate slurry to mix and no cornflour at the end.

Give the vegetables their full 5 minutes before the mince goes in, since they won’t soften properly once there’s liquid in the pan. Brown the mince properly rather than stirring it constantly, because those browned bits on the bottom of the pan are most of the flavour. Stir the flour through and give it a moment before the water goes in, which stops it going lumpy. If the gravy is thinner than you want, let it bubble away with the lid off for a few more minutes rather than adding more flour. And taste it before you serve, because stock powders vary a lot in how salty they are.

This changes shape depending on what you serve it with, so it’s worth thinking of it as a base rather than one dish. Spooned over buttered toast it’s a school-night dinner; over mash or rice it’s a proper meal; put it under pastry and it’s a pie. You can also make it go further again by adding a tin of drained lentils or beans with the peas and corn, which bulks it out without changing the flavour much.

Toast, mashed potato, rice or pasta are the usual four. Steamed greens on the side if you want another vegetable, and a bit of extra Worcestershire sauce on the table for whoever likes it sharper.

Cool it down and keep it in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water when you reheat it and stir it through. It reheats well in a pan or the microwave, and it’s one of the better lunch leftovers going, especially on toast. Leftover savoury mince is also the easiest pie filling you’ll ever make.

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