Four ways with mince you haven't tried yet

Mince is an easy and cost-effective mid-week meal, but sometimes we need a little help to think outside of the usual bolognese and shepherds pie box. So here are four of our favourite mince dishes to help make you week easier.

Note: the mince of choice can be swapped for whatever mince your family prefers and it'll still work a treat.

The viral DIY doner kebab trend is worth trying

It's tricky to get that flaky soft meat at home without a spit and layers and layers of meat. But this trick makes it easy and tasty and be made ahead and finished off as you need it in the air-fryer or oven.

Serves 4

Doner meat ingredients:

• 1 onion

• 500g lamb mince

• ½ cup greek yoghurt

• ¼ cup olive oil

Spice mix:

• 1 Tbsp onion powder

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• ½ Tbsp coriander

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Pitta pockets + stuffing:

• 8 x small pitta bread pockets – halved and opened like pockets

• 1 cup garlic yoghurt / tzatziki

• 1 cos lettuce, shredded

• ½ cup finely sliced pickled onion or pickled turnips

Method:

1. In a food processor blitz up your onion until it is finely chopped, then add the rest of the doner ingredients and the spice mix and blend to a paste.

2. Spread the doner mix thinly between 2 sheets of baking paper, rolling it out very flat. The thinner the better. Take the top layer of baking paper off and then roll the meat up into a tube – still on the baking paper – place on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake at 180C for 20 mins or until cooked through.

3. Remove the meat from the baking paper – shaking it gently off into the pan – tear the pieces up and then toss them back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp up (note, you can also do this step in the airfryer when ready to serve).

4. Stuff the meat into pita pockets with the suggested fillings and enjoy

Cheat's 'blanket dumplings'

This is even easier than the dumpling lasagne trend, because there's not even any layering this time. Simply make your mince mix, drop balls into a hot pan and lay dumpling wrappers over the top to cook. They sort of look like tiny, delicious ghosts.

Serves 4

Mince Ingredients:

• 500g pork mince

• 1½ Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp garlic

• 1 tsp ginger

• 2 tsp oyster sauce

• 1 Tbsp shaoxing wine

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• ¼ cup spring onions, chopped

• ½ tsp white pepper

Topping:

• 1 cup chicken broth

• dumplings wrappers / wonton wrappers (in the chilled aisle at the supermarket)

• Chilli crisp oil, to dress

• Extra spring onion, to garnish

Method:

1. Mix all the dumpling ingredients together with your hands, really working the mix together so it is lovely and sticky and then chill until ready to use.

2. In a lightly oiled medium frypan drop tablespoon sized balls of the mix and then drop a dumpling wrapper over the top of each one, gently molding it down the sides. Once you have filled the pan, allow the dumplings to fry a little before adding the chicken stock and covering with a lid.

3. Steam for 7-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Serve the dumplings into a bowl, turning them over as you go, and top with chilli crisp oil and extra spring onion and a little sauce from the pan.

Cheesy beef mince pockets in a pan

This is giving quesadilla when you're not doing quesadilla vibes and we love it. Even better, you can cook the mince ahead and then just wrap the pockets and pop it in the oven for a few minutes before you want to serve it. Easy dinner, done.

Even better, if you're cooking the mince the same day, don't wash up the pan, just use the same pan to grill the pockets and soak up the extra juices. Less washing-up is always a winner.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500g beef or bolognese mince

• 1 x packet of taco seasoning (I use Mingle)

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 cups grated cheese, divided in 2

• 4 tortilla wraps

• olive oil

Method:

1. In a large frypan fry off the mince with the taco seasoning and carrot until golden and crisping and set aside to cool a little.

2. Wipe out the frypan and cut your tortillas in ½ so you have 8 half circles.

3. Divide 1 cup of the cheese evenly between the 8 tortilla pieces and top with the mince, then fold the edges over to create a triangle filled with mince and cheese.

4. Lay the triangles into the oiled frypan to make a full circle out of the 8 pockets. Top with the rest of the cheese and put the pan under the grill to melt the cheese for a few minutes until bubbling and golden.

One pot lasagne - with extra veggies and no layers

Thsi is the perfect dish when you want something comforting and packed with extra veggies, but just don't have the time to make additionals sauces and artistic layers for a lasagne. All the flavour, less of the fuss. And better for you with extra veggies.

Serves 4

• 1 x onion, diced

• 500g bolognese mince (mix of pork and veal)

• 1 zucchini, finely sliced

• 2 tsp crushed garlic

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 x 800g tinned tomatoes

• 500ml stock

• 1 x 400g tin white beans, drained

• 4 fresh lasagne sheets

• 1 cup ricotta

• 1 cup grated cheese

Method:

1. In a large ovenproof frypan heat a little olive oil and fry off the diced onion untill softening. Add the mice, breaking up thoroughly, and fry until browning.

2. Add the zucchini and garlic and toss through, before stirring in the tomato paste and cooking for 1 minute.

3. Add the tinned tomato, stock and white beans and bring to a gentle simmer. Break up the lasagne sheets and fold them into the sauce while it's simmering to gently cook the sheets for a few minutes.

4. Top with dollops of ricotta and scatter with grated cheese. Place under the grill for a few minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Jane de Graaff is Today's kitchen expert, food writer and recipe developer and content creator for fun family recipes of all kinds.

Find all Jane's food adventures, tricks and tips on Instagram and TikTok