Magic mince

magic mince
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

ingredients
500g Quality Mark beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
250g button mushrooms, wiped and sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
4 sprigs thyme

to serve
Sour cream
Handful chopped parsley

method
1. Heat a dash of oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the beef mince. Brown mince, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, then transfer to a bowl.
2. Add another dash of oil to the saucepan and add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Return mince to the saucepan.
3. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer mince for 45 minutes. Stir the mince from time to time and taste for seasoning. Remove the lid towards the end of the cooking time if you need to thicken the mince a little.
4. Serve magic mince on toast, topped with a dollop of sour cream and parsley. You could also serve the magic mince on pasta or rice, or in wraps or tacos.

tips and tricks
● If time allows, cook mince for 1 -1¼ hours for an enhanced flavour.
● Turn this recipe into a dish of nachos – place the cooked magic mince into an ovenproof dish, top with chopped avocado and tomato, sour cream and grated cheese. Place under a hot grill for about one minute to grill the cheese.
● Premium mince is the leanest grade of mince and meets The Heart Foundation’s Two Ticks – having less than 4% saturated fat and being recognised as a core food for a healthy diet.