Bulking out family meals?

OK so I nearly died of fright when it cost me $15 for mince for ONE meal today! Granted it did have to feed 2 adults, a hungry teenager and three sprats, and the rest of the meal (canned tomatoes, Dolmio and pasta) were cheap, but it just seemed so expensive!

So, how do you bulk out family meals? Fiona suggested kidney beans which I will definitely try, and as mentioned I added 2 cans of tomatoes, a jar of Dolmio and a large capsicum, plus plenty of pasta which is only $1.80 for a 1kg bag of Homebrand, but what else can you suggest?

And not just mince suggestions: stews, casseroles etc. as well.

I do use pasta a lot to bulk out meals, eg. I make a tuna pasta bake from a Maggi sachet using the recommended amount of tuna and other ingredients but double the pasta.

I put kumura, carrot and pumpkin into casseroles to bulk them out. Sometimes I use a can of chickpeas.
I also use kidney beans or the spicy mexican beans with mince.

Any vege will do.

When I do mince and pasta for me and the boys we have carrots, courgettes, capiscum, brocolli, cauli.

You could always add some rice.

i have some red lentils that i am going to start adding to my stews and soups...

oh, maybe you can give me some tips on what to do with my lentils then fiona. i am not too sure about them as not something i've used before.

So you don't need to soak them?

I agree with adding potatoes, kumara and carrot. They bulk out meals.
I make a Chilli Con Carne with about 300g mince, 1 tin of tomatoes (usually the italian flavour) and a tin of the watties mild salsa beans. This feeds DH and I for 2 nights and somes times there is still some left. The first night I put it with rice and veges and the 2nd night I make it into a shepards pie or lasagne.
I always find a vege soup in winter good as it is quite filling and pretty cheap to make. We often have a bowl of soup and toast and then if we are still hungry something simple like eggs on toast

When I'm making the likes of Spag Bol I grate some carrots and corgettes and put them into it, cant really taste them but it bulks it out quite a bit

I find grated carrot can fill out most things without adding to much flavour. If you do a mince dish then adding some carrot when you brown the onion means that the carrot takes on more of the onion and stock flavour. My partner had no idea that I was filling it out cause it looks a bit like mince and tastes just like it if you put it in early

Yes def grated carrots or courgette and frozen spinach here...have just started adding baked beans to things too much to Paiges disgust but figured since going to be five of us soon I need to get into the habit of this bulking up business too!