Budget-friendly meal plan 50/50 Bolognese

Put a large deep casserole pan on a medium-high heat. Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves, finely slice the pancetta, and place it all in the pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring regularly until lightly golden. Stir in the mince, breaking it up with your spoon, and let it brown for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Peel, finely chop and add the garlic, along with the chopped mixed veg, season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for another 15 minutes, still stirring regularly.

Stir in the balsamic, cook away, then add the lentils, juice and all. Add the tomatoes, scrunching them in through clean hands, then half-fill each of the four tins with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium-low heat for 2 hours, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season to perfection, and enjoy as is, batching up extra portions to stash in the fridge or freezer for future meals.

Tips

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS:

Leftover herbs? Woody herbs like rosemary and thyme add depth of flavour to soups, stews and sauces. Add a sprig of rosemary to a tomato pasta sauce, or to a meat gravy to boost flavour.

FOR SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE:

Cook 75g of dried spaghetti per portion in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Heat the Bolognese (allow 150g per portion) in the pan until hot through, then toss in the pasta, loosening with splashes of cooking water, if needed. Grate over 5g of Cheddar cheese, to serve.

FOR COTTAGE PIE:

Peel 1kg potato and sweet potato, cut into chunks, and boil in a shallow casserole pan until soft. Drain and mash well with 3 tablespoons of olive oil or a little butter, and season to perfection. Spoon the Bolognese into the pan, top with the mash, and bake until golden and cooked through.

FOR SLOPPY JOES:

Reheat the Bolognese until piping hot, then pile it into a soft toasted bun and add a grating (about 5g) of good melty cheese, such as Gruyère, or Cheddar if that’s what you’ve got in the fridge. You could even pop it under the grill at this point to melt the cheese. I like it with a few gherkins on the side.

HOW TO FREEZE & DEFROST YOUR BATCH-COOK RECIPES:

Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled for future reference so you’re not playing freezer roulette! Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.