Savory Mince and Potato Wedges

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

 

Savory Mince

• 500 grams beef mince
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup passata
• 1 carrot, grated
• 200 grams mushrooms, sliced
• 200 grams kidney beans
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Potato Wedges

• 6 potatoes
• 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

To Serve

• fresh herbs to garnish (such as parsley, basil or coriander)
• ½ cup sour cream

Instructions

 

Potato Wedges

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
• Cut each potato into 8 wedges. Add the chopped potatoes to a saucepan and fill with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Strain the cooked potatoes and then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss to ensure everything is sufficiently coated.
• Place the potatoes onto a tray lined with baking paper and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and crispy

Savory Mince

• Add the olive oil to a large frypan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sliced onion and sauté for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are softened.
• Add in the mince, using the back of the spatula to break down and remove any lumps. Cook until the beef is browned all through.
• Add the tomato paste, taco seasoning and mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir through the carrot, tomato passata, water and kidney beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

To Serve

• Divide the wedges between 4 serving bowls. Divide the savory mince between the 4 bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs and a dollop of sour cream on the side.

We all have different meals we love cooking at different times of the year. Come summer I’m all about the barbecue and then when winter hits I look for the comfort foods. Often, it’s something to warm you after a cold day outside. Savory mince has been one of my winter staples for years now. It’s simple to make, superb flavor pairings, contains a mix of veggies hidden throughout to make it healthy, and it’s quite cheap.

Start by preparing the wedges, and then as they bake away in the oven, get the mince going. It will all then come together to serve about the same time.

Preparing the Wedges

Take your potatoes and cut them into wedges. Spead up the process by keeping the skin on. The choice of potato is important here. You ideally want a waxy variety of potato; they have a higher moisture content and tend to hold together better. In Australia there are many varieties, but typically the blue or purple potato are what you are looking for. You could also use sweet potato as an alternative.

Transfer the potatoes to a saucepan filled with water and then boil them for 3-5 minutes. This process helps softened the inside of the wedges. The end results will be wedges with a soft interior but a lovely crispy crunch to the outside of them.

Strain the boiled potatoes and then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Following this, add in some olive oil and the taco seasoning. Homemade Taco Seasoning is ideal for this recipe, being cheap to make in large quantities. Feel free to use store-bought seasoning if that’s all you have. Toss the potatoes through the seasoning and oil to ensure they are sufficiently coated.

Transfer the coated potatoes to a tray lined with baking paper and then bake them for 30-35 minutes in a moderate oven. The wedges are done when they have a lovely crispy exterior and a golden brown color to them.

Preparing the Savory Mince

While the wedges are cooking away, prepare the savory mince component of the dish. Start by taking a large frying pan and placing it over a medium-high heat. Add in some olive oil and then throw in your the onions and garlic. Sauté the mix for 10-15 minutes until the onions are softened. Take care not to burn the garlic.

Tip: Don’t cut the onion too small, larger pieces work great in the finished product.

When the onions are starting to go translucent it is time to add in the mince. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to break down any lumps. Cook until the mince is browned through. Following this, add in the taco seasoning, tomato paste and sliced mushrooms. Stir through and then cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the passata sauce and water and stir it all together. At this point we will have quite a loose sauce, but this will thicken as we simmer everything in a moment. The water helps so the sauce doesn’t thicken too quickly, allow the mince time to develop flavor.

Tip in the kidney beans, and grated carrot. Turn the heat to low, give the mixture a stir through and then leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the beef doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If the mixture starts to become dry, or sticks to the bottom of the pan you may need to add in an extra tablespoon or two of water.

Serving the Savory Mince

Start by dividing the wedges between 4 serving bowls, it doesn’t have too be pretty, after all this is a simple comfort food type meal. Next, spoon the mince mixture over the top of the wedges. Season with some salt and pepper and then garnish with some fresh herbs.

For variations to the dish, you could also serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or guacamole. Increase the heat by adding in some extra chilli powder when you add the taco seasoning. Make the dish into a taco bowl by adding in some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and extra grated carrot.

• The mince is also perfect for tacos, wraps and over rice.
• The wedges go nicely topped with some Mexican-Style Shredded Chicken.