Mince quantity question (stretching and portion sizes)?

SunnyGirl

I'm about the same as Rachbc. I'll use a 500g (or 454g as it is usually) for 6 of us as long as there's some potatoes, pasta or rice with it. HTH

Pink.

Hi niptuckfan,

I use round about 150g per person but can vary depending on what I'm making and what I'm using to pad it out.

There's an earlier thread on this that may help:

Mince quantity question?

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together. There is some discussion on how much mince people use in this thread too:

Portion Sizes !!!

Pink

*niptuckfan*

thanks all!that really helps the mince will always be accompanied by carbs so i think i will aim to be around 100-150g per person

Stephen_Leak

Oh dear. My recipes use 500g of mince for 2 servings of Bolognese sauce. The extra 400g of beans for a Chilli con Carne increases this to 3. I've also found that <10% fat minced pork goes further than fattier minced beef. These servings nearly fill a 500ml takeway tub and weigh 250g to 300g. This may explain a lot - ie. my waistline. I'm depressed now. Where's the Pringles?

Olliebeak

There's two of us to cook for usually, so I divide the 500g packs in half and freeze in 250g amounts. Each of those will make a bolognese, chilli, savoury mince or cottage/shepherd's pie for us.

Like rachbc, I pad them out with pulses, lentils, veggies as appropriate for the meal being cooked. Usually finish up with enough 'meat mixture' to top a jacket potato/fill a wrap each for another day. Those left-overs are put into 250gram margarine tubs before OH can get his greedy mitts on them - I stash them in the microwave until after I've done the dishes to let them cool down for freezing. If I leave them out either OH (or the cat) will be at 'em!!

daska

Yes, about 100g per person per serving, I make a very large basic 'thick' mince (minimum 1.5kg beef) in my slow cooker with onions, lentils/oats, carrots and tomatos etc then divide into portions before freezing. When I defrost I add more dish specific ingredients (wine and tomato for bolognese, beans and cocoa for chilli etc). Whilst it's a little more effort per day, it means much less space used up in the freezer!

maman

I'd say 100g per person at the absolute maximum. My sauces are also filled with lovely veg, pulses etc depending on the meal. I generally cook for 2 of us but when I portion up, e.g. bolognese, for the freezer I deliberately do some smaller ones for putting on jackets or for some easy ready meals if one of us is going to be 'home alone'.

MrsE_2

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Oh dear. My recipes use 500g of mince for 2 servings of Bolognese sauce. The extra 400g of beans for a Chilli con Carne increases this to 3. I've also found that <10% fat minced pork goes further than fattier minced beef. These servings nearly fill a 500ml takeway tub and weigh 250g to 300g. This may explain a lot - ie. my waistline. I'm depressed now. Where's the Pringles?

I use 500g of M&S extra lean between three, I was feeling greedy till I read yours:D

freyasmum

It depends what I'm cooking as to how much mince I use.

Typically, I'd use 1lb/500g for cottage pie/bolognase, 4 servings.
1/2lb/250g for chilli or a minced beef bake (doesn't really have a name ) for 4 servings.

I don't pad out with lentils

mogchops

Hi,

I have been looking through the threads here on the old style boards for inspiration for my meal planning and to try & make things go further! I am managing to meal plan for the week, and stick to it, but I think I am going wrong with quantities of meat in my dishes.

We are 2 adults 2 children. If we make a spag bol, we use a 500g pack of mince for the bolognaise, and this will do 2 meals (one to eat, one to freeze.) Is this too much? Should I be making the mince go further?

Same with a lasagne - one pack of mince will make one large lasagne, that will do the 4 of us with about a third left which will go in the freezer.

We always put lots into the mince too - tomatoes, carrots, celery etc, which pads it out. But I am wondering if I should be making it go further?

Would welcome any advice, many thanks!