Bulking out Meals?

moanymoany

squeaky wrote: »

I used to pad things out (still do really) by serving up rather more of the staple (such as rice or taters) and or do things like don't serve the meat or fish direct or in a stew but make it into a pie or suet pud or roly poly type thing. Including veggies where appropriate - it's amazing how little mince you need in a pastie... and then you can serve even more veggies and taters with it... see?

You've just given me an idea. Last night we had stuffed cabbage leaves. I think I'll mash it up - add some sweated celery, carrots and onions and make a roly poly. Dh will love that - so will I of course!!!

I'll then have it will onion gravy and frozen string beans.

Thinks :think: shall I steam it or bake it in the oven - tips welcomed.

loocyloo

what can i add to fish pie to bulk it out?

i use a selection of fish, a few prawns, mushroom, onion, peas & corn, but i wondered if there was any pulse or ??? i could add as well???

xxx

EagerLearner

Last night I added red lentils to my cottage pie which was lovely, I buy them from Tesco around £1.60 per kg (500g bags). I also love, love, love adding Aduki beans to pad things out. They are a really healthy bean and very nice too.

Adding sweet potato as the cottage pie topping rather than white potato makes it healthier, you could also mash in some swede or parsnip to the potato if you wanted extra vitamins/different taste.

chalkswindon

Noticed the individual toad in the holes post.

I do something a bit similar.

6 Sausages (Costs £1)

3 Giant Yorkie puds (3 for a £1 in Morrsions)

Mash ( £1)

Peas (25p)

Serves the sausages in the yorkie pud with Mash and peas and Gravy.

Ultimate cheat this week.

Walls Micro Sausages in Morrisons £1 for 6.

Micro mash 89p Which with a teaspoon of Utterley Butterly is mint.

Great timesaver this week as got busy week.

EagerLearner

loocyloo wrote: »

what can i add to fish pie to bulk it out?

i use a selection of fish, a few prawns, mushroom, onion, peas & corn, but i wondered if there was any pulse or ??? i could add as well???

xxx

How about some leeks in the mash? Yummy x

Lalaladybird

I am defrosting a 430g pack of lean steak mince and I am keen to try to stretch it as far as possible and bulk cook lots of meals from it that I can put in the freezer. Normally I would make one chilli or cottage pie with it for the 2 of us and eat the leftovers for my lunch tomorrow but having read this thread that seems almost criminal LOL:p

I have plenty of other stuff in at the moment....lentils, oats, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots etc so how many meals can I get out of this one pack of mince? I could stretch it to two but could I make 4 different meals with it or more?

Penelope_Penguin

Lalaladybird wrote: »

I am defrosting a 430g pack of lean steak mince and I am keen to try to stretch it as far as possible and bulk cook lots of meals from it that I can put in the freezer. Normally I would make one chilli or cottage pie with it for the 2 of us and eat the leftovers for my lunch tomorrow but having read this thread that seems almost criminal LOL:p

I have plenty of other stuff in at the moment....lentils, oats, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots etc so how many meals can I get out of this one pack of mince? I could stretch it to two but could I make 4 different meals with it or more?

I make 12 portions from 500g lean minced beef I usually buy mince in 500g portions, make a chilli, or a bolognaise, or the base for a cottage pie. I serve 4 portions, and freeze the rest in 2 x 4 portion servings for later

I'll add this to the thread on bulking out later.

Penny. x

Barneysmom

When we do a shepherd's pie or chilli, we always put a tin of beans in to fill it up, it makes the gravy lovely, and adds 2 more portions.

msgnomey

I make concoction
mince
baked beans
tinned tomatoes
and any veg I have in the 'fridge.

serve with rice, bread, potatoes (mashed or jacket), pasta or on it's own

the more veg you add the longer it lasts!!!

apple_mint

Yesterday I added in some dried soya (Sainsburys), chopped mushrooms, lentils and chopped carrots. We had some with mashed potatoes, yorkies and green veg. I made a Shepherds pie with a third of the mix and the left over mash (this is now in the freezer) and the remaining third is in the fridge ready to add some else to (probably beans and chillie) to stretch to an even bigger meal on Monday.

This is the OH's favourite meal and he didn't even notice that I'd added red lentils in addition to my usual stretching technique of using dried soya

As has been suggested it is the veggies that bulk and stretch it out. I use marigold bouillion, a good dash of soy sauce, a good dash of lee and perrins and a teaspoon of ASDA yeast extract to provide the gravy taste. A good sprinkle of mixed herbs as it cooking is nice too. Just watch how much yeast extract you use as it can be rather salty if too much is used. Just add a little at time.