packing out mince with lentils?

[MerlinsBeard]

ok, how do i do this properly so it tastes nice, means i use less mince (therefore costs less) and means DP won't notice!

Depends what you make with it. The red lentils are the best I find if you want to 'hide' them. I tend to add them when I add the tomatoes, add a bit extra water too, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Millet is also good for bulking out mince, and is hard to detect and hard to taste too, but a very good souce of protein. If I use this I cook it first and add it cooked when I fry the mince.

what is millet? and is it cheap? (am on super budget at mo)

want to make things ike spag bol and chilli and shep pie with teh mince. already chuck in a handful of lentils as it is

I throw a couple of generous handfuls of red lentils into 500g of mince for lasagne. DP, who is not the world's biggest lentil fan, loves it.

good idea,
dm used to add baked beans to mince!

I used to but porridge oats in mine when I was on a tight budget.

Millet is a grain and is very cheap, you can get it in tescos now in their wholefood range.

You could also try bulking out with tvp mince (soy based dry imitation mince) available from health shops and tescos too. Has a similar texture to real mince so virtually undetectable!

How about bulking out with grated carrot and finely chopped mushrooms too? They are relatively cheap no?

Didn't Nigella do this the other day on her Express programme? I'd love to give it a try.

Her recipe looked really nice but I didn't write it down (doh!). I think it had bacon in it too iirc. It looked very tasty.

Just googled and found it:

Rapid Ragu ~

Garlic oil in the pan, in with panchetta cubes and lamb mince, carmelised onions plus a rich sherry. Add some red lentils and stir with some water and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes.

It doesn't give quantites. I guess you just chuck in what you want.