For all those striving to stretch their food budgets, we introduce new 1News contributor Alice Taylor. Alice will deliver fortnightly columns on how to create delicious food without breaking the bank. It's something she knows a lot about – the former Masterchef New Zealand contestant has a huge online following as 'Alice Taylor Eats' showcasing simple, inexpensive food ideas. This week Alice looks at mince, that once budget staple which has soared in price by almost 20% this year. Despite that, it's still an easy meat to pad out with other ingredients, making it all the more tasty, healthy and of course cheap. This week: three ways to stretch mince, plus tasty meatballs with a secret ingredient.
Making cheap and realistic recipes is my job. And I’ve got to say, in this economy, it’s not always easy.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Alice Taylor and I post cooking videos on Instagram, as well as YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
I’ve always loved to cook. I spent my childhood glued to cookbooks instead of picture books. Cooking became an escape when I was an anxious teenager with a busy mind. It was, and still is, how my dad and I bonded.
At the end of my Master of Politics degree at Otago, I got the chance to go on MasterChef. I placed third, which led to an opportunity to work as a pastry chef. For the next three years, I worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, including Amisfield.
Eventually, I left the industry. My physical and mental health had taken a toll, and I found myself with no job and no money. I managed to land a writing job and slowly reconnected with cooking again. That’s when I started posting cheap, realistic recipes online. Since then, my page has grown to over 350,000 followers.
I’ve talked a lot about the cost of living crisis. I don’t see how I can talk about affordable recipes without addressing the elephant in the room. It’s becoming incredibly hard to cook cheaply because of supermarket prices. At one point, the Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, Chlöe Swarbrick and Nicola Willis all visited me in my flat to talk about it.
At the centre of my recipe creation are three core values: accessibility, affordability and relatability. I want anyone watching one of my videos to feel empowered. Like they can make that meal right then and there. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, what your budget looks like, or what’s in your pantry. My recipes should help you make it work.
Mince isn’t cheap anymore, but it’s still worth it
One of the staples I grew up with was mince meat. It was cheap, versatile, and always in the fridge or freezer. But over the past year, the price of mince has crept up so much that it no longer feels like a budget option.
Even so, I still think it’s worth having in your toolkit. It’s one of the easiest meats to bulk out and if you treat it right, it can still go a long way. Below you'll find my recipe for 'meatballs that don't break the bank'. But before that, I'd like to share a couple of easy and realistic ways to stretch mince without losing flavour or spending a fortune.
Three ways to make mince go further
1. Remember, rice is your best friend
Rice is one of my favourite ways to bulk up mince. One of my go-to dishes is called burek. It’s Albanian, and while it’s often eaten for breakfast, I eat it any time of day.
- Take filo pastry and brush it with yoghurt or milk; anything but butter really, because butter costs a fortune.
- Cook down a load of onions – use more than you'd think, they’re cheap and they add so much flavour. Add 500g of mince, cook off, and at the end stir through two big handfuls of cooked rice.
- Layer that mixture into the filo and bake it. That same amount of mince that might’ve fed a couple of people now feeds a whole flat.
2. Chuck in some lentils
Lentils are underrated. If you’re making a stew, curry or pasta sauce, it’s easy to swap out half the mince for lentils.
Dried lentils are best. They’re cheaper, they taste better, and they bulk everything up without stealing the spotlight. Green or brown lentils are both great. Split red lentils cook faster. And if all you have is canned, that’s fine too.
You still get the depth and richness of mince, but at a fraction of the cost.
3. Stop thinking of meat as the main event
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made is how I think about meat.
In a lot of cookbooks from Asia and the Mediterranean, meat isn’t the star of the show. It’s just one part of the dish. But in New Zealand, we’re used to making it the centre of the plate.
Try using it to support the dish instead. Maybe you’re making spring rolls and you use a sixth mince, with the rest filled out with shredded cabbage and carrot. Maybe you’re making burgers and you stretch the patties with grated beetroot or beans. Maybe you’re doing a meatball stew, but this time you add kūmara or pumpkin and only use a small amount of meat.
This isn’t about cutting meat out. It’s about using it in a way that works better for your wallet.
Recipe: Meatballs that don’t break the bank
[Serves four]
This recipe was a huge hit when I first shared it online. It’s a meatball recipe I learned from my partner, who is also an Italian chef. (Yes, my life is great, thank you for asking.)
The best part is that it uses stale bread. Most of us have some lying around. Most of us throw it out. But stale bread is a secret weapon.
Here’s what to do:
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
- 300g stale bread, diced
- Water (for soaking bread)
- 500g ground meat (beef, pork, or a mix)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (or your favorite herbs/spices – cumin, paprika, etc.)
Optional additions:
- Grated carrot or onion
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs (if needed)
For the sauce:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- A splash of olive oil
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- A splash of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A splash of milk
METHOD
1. Soak the bread:
- Place the diced stale bread in a bowl and cover with water.
- Let soak for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible.
2. Make the meatball mixture:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked bread, ground meat, egg, herbs/spices (and any of the optional grated vegetables or cheese).
- Mix everything thoroughly with your hands or a spoon.
- If the mixture feels too wet, mix in up to ½ cup dried breadcrumbs until it holds its shape.
- Roll into meatballs.
3. Make the sauce:
- In a large pan or pot, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened.
- Add the canned tomatoes, a splash of water, salt, pepper, and a splash of milk.
- Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook the meatballs:
- Drop the raw meatballs directly into the simmering sauce.
- Cover and cook on low heat for about 1 hour, until the meatballs are tender and cooked through.
5. Serve over hot over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread.
Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @AliceTaylorEats on Instagram, as well as YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
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