DD doesn't like mince, what can I use instead?

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

She never has liked it, thought she'd grow out of it but she hasn't. She says she doesn't like the feel of it. Trouble is, being the dull, uninspired cook that I am, we have a lot of chilli, spaghetti bolognese etc. Is there anything I can use instead of mince?

Make a nice chunky veg pasta sauce instead :)

try slow cooking it over a few hours. personally i can't stand it done like this but it is the only way DS wll eat it. it becomes less gritty.

She loves her veg, luckily.

Will try the slow cooking. The downside to that is that it usually features in my quick meals! I went the whole hog once and did a bolognese in the slow cooker but it burnt :(

Yes, it's the grittiness she doesn't like, she doesn't mind the taste.

Put mushrooms in a food processor and blitz. I didn't like slow cooked bolognese, to me that seemed grittier than cooking it in a pan.

Ditto finely chopped mushrooms and red peppers, gives a nice texture without the chewy graininess, I use a pampered chef chopper thing to get them really small

Sausage casserole is an easy meal with a similar sort of vibe to the stuff that's off-limits. You could just follow your normal bolognese/chilli recipe but add sausages cut into thirds where you would normally put mince.

Or find a chicken casserole recipe you like.

When I first became a vegetarian I substituted lentils for mince - so a bolognaise was lentils softened for 5 mins or so in boiling water then the toms, garlic, onions, basil, veg as normal.

You could also try quorn mince and see if she finds the texture any better.

Lots of good ideas, thanks :) Will work my way through them. It's the same every time, eats the pasta/rice, eats the veg, leaves the sauce. Is boring for her as well as frustrating for me!

try blending the sauce for her portion

or use chopped chicken

and mixed bean chilli

or use bacon or panchetta in a tomato sauce with pasta

I second the suggestion about using Quorn. Aside from the obvious reasons for using it, it tastes much nicer and has a softer texture.

I made chilli using chunks of meat rather than mince recently. Got the recipe off that Mexican cooking show that was on the tv recently.

Neither of my girls like bog standard mince but will eat it slow cooked. Turkey mince is better and quorn best as far as they are concerned.

Also try cooking the mince in milk as this will help soften the texture without the need for slow cooking. Google for some ideas as I can't remember what the methods are.

Thanks all :) Some great ideas even without the mince issue.

I always use a can of green lentils as a substitute for mince. I always have two pots going on the stove whenever I'm cooking mince for DH. I make shepherds pie, chilli, bolognaise all using lentils for me and Mince for DH.