When it comes to making something both tasty and nutritious, mince recipes are a real game-changer. Whether you’re dealing with beef, chicken, or turkey mince, these versatile dishes can be the secret weapon in your kitchen arsenal. We've rounded up the must-try mince recipes that even the pickiest eaters will love. Ready to turn mealtime into a hit? 

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Delicious Mince Recipes For Fussy Eaters: Top 5 Picks

Here are our top five mince recipes that are packed with flavour and perfect for winning over even the fussiest eaters!

Cottage Pie

This Cottage Pie is a hearty, family-friendly meal that’s perfect for everyone at the table. We’ve made sure it’s easy on little ones too, with some handy modifications. Add a side of green peas and steamed veggies for a meal that’s both nutritious and satisfying.

Type: Contains Beef, Kid Friendly, Baby Friendly

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 500g lean beef mince
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup milk

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the olive oil in a large wide saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. 
2. Add in the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring every few minutes. 
3. Add in the beef mince and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until browned. 
4. Baby Friendly: remove some of the beef and veggie mixture. Allow to cool slightly, then blend or mash depending on your child’s weaning stage. You could also add in some of the potatoes once boiled, and mash them into the beef mixture. 
5. Add in the flour, tomato paste, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened. 
6. Meanwhile, add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. 
7. Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Add in the milk and mash until smooth. 
8. Transfer the beef mixture into a large rectangular baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Use a fork to create ridges in the mashed potatoes as this will allow them to crisp up in the oven. 
9. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the liquid is bubbling up at the edges and the potato topping is crispy and slightly golden. Serve immediately and enjoy!
10. Kid Friendly: If you are preparing this dish for kids, you can cook it into individual miniature cottage pies. Divide the beef mixture between 8 ceramic ramekins, and top each with mashed potato. Place into the oven for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. 

One Pot Italian Style Chicken 

One-pot dinners are a surefire hit—this Italian-inspired recipe is bursting with flavour and super easy to prepare. 

Type: Contains Chicken, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients

• 3 large chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sprinkle of smoked paprika
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Sprinkle of oregano 
• 2 bunches broccolini, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 punnet mini truss tomatoes 
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves

Recipe

1. Heat a large deep saucepan over medium to high heat. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. 
2. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sprinkle with paprika. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then add in the onion, garlic, and oregano. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes until softened. Add in the broccolini and sauté for a further 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in the tomato paste, then slowly pour in the vegetable stock. Return the chicken breasts to the pan, along with the truss tomatoes. 
5. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 
6. Remove from the heat, then stir in the baby spinach and basil leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Looking for more recipes? Give this Baked Lemon Chicken a go—it’s not only easy to make but also packed with flavour that might just spark your fussy kid’s appetite!

Simple Turkey Mince San Choy Bow

Try this easy San Choy Bow recipe—it’s fresh, full of flavour, and a breeze to whip up. Turkey mince adds a lean protein twist, so if you haven’t given it a shot yet, now’s the perfect time. It’s also a fun family meal where kids can get hands-on wrapping their own lettuce cups. 

Type: Contains Meat, Lactose Free, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly

Serves 5

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 500g lean turkey mince
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 15 lettuce cups (from 1 iceberg lettuce head)
• Handful fresh coriander leaves, to serve
• Sesame seeds, to serve
• Chilli flakes or sliced fresh chilli, to serve

Recipe

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add in the olive oil, carrot, and capsicum.
2. Fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add in the garlic, as well as the turkey mince. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the mince into smaller pieces. 
3. Once the mince is browned, add in the oyster sauce and stir through. Remove from the heat. 
4. Arrange 3 lettuce cups onto each serving plate. Divide the mince mixture between the lettuce cups. 
5. Top with the fresh coriander leaves, sesame seeds and chilli flakes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Looking for more mouth-watering recipes? Check out our Recipes section for even more delicious ideas.

Beef And Zucchini Pie

This tasty and nutritious recipe features filo pastry, which is a lighter alternative to puff pastry with less saturated fat, mainly because it's just water and flour. It’s a fantastic dish for the whole family to make together. Feel free to mix and match the vegetables based on what you have on hand—there’s no need to stick strictly to the list.

Tip: For a fun twist, try making individual pies. Use a sheet of filo pastry to line small pie dishes with the edges hanging over. Fill with your pie mix, fold the overhanging pastry over the top, brush with beaten egg, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Type: Contains Meat, Lactose Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 zucchinis, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (40g) frozen peas
• 125g cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup (250ml) beef or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour
• Olive oil spray (optional)
• 4-5 sheets filo pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Side Serving 

• 2 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into batons
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into batons
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Mixed dried herbs, for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
2. Add the mince and cook, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon, until lightly browned.
3. Add the carrot, potato, zucchini, peas, tomatoes and stock, sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring regularly for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spray a large round pie dish with olive oil or line with baking paper.
5. While the pie filling is cooling, line a baking tray with baking paper and prepare the vegetables for the side serving. Place the vegetables in a zip-lock bag, add the herbs and olive oil and turn to coat in the oil. Tip them onto the prepared baking tray and spread out in a single layer. 
6. Line the prepared pie dish with three sheets of filo pastry. Spoon in the cooled filling, then place the remaining sheets of filo on top. Fold in the overhanging pastry and glaze the top with beaten egg.
7. Place the pie and side vegetables in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and slightly crispy and the vegetables are cooked through.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Lentil Cottage Pie

This easy recipe is perfect for tweaking to suit babies and kids and stores well in the fridge for a few days, which makes it great for prepping ahead of time. For a tasty adult twist, serve the lentil cottage pie with a fresh rocket salad topped with shaved parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Baby Friendly

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 2x 400g tins brown lentils, drained and rinsed
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Harissa paste
• 2 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup milk

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add in the onion, carrot and celery. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until softened, stirring every few minutes. Add in the lentils and reduce the heat to low. 
3. Baby Friendly: If you are preparing this recipe for a baby, remove a small amount of the mixture and set aside. Blend to a puree or mash the mixture in a bowl, depending on the age of your baby and what weaning stage they are at. 
4. Add the vegetable stock, tomato paste and Harissa paste into the saucepan with the lentil mixture. Allow mixture to simmer for 5-10 minutes uncovered to absorb the liquid. 
5. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over high heat. Add in the chopped sweet potato and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are softened. 
6. Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the saucepan. Add in the milk and mash until smooth. 
7. Transfer the lentil mixture into a square baking dish. Top with the mashed sweet potato. Use a fork to create ridges in the sweet potato, as this will allow it to crisp up in the oven.
8. Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are heated through and the sweet potato is crispy and slightly golden. 
9. Serve immediately and enjoy!
10. Kid friendly: If you are preparing this recipe for young children, you could use small oven proof ramekins to bake miniature lentil cottage pies. Transfer the lentil mixture between 6 ceramic ramekins, then top each with the sweet potato mash. Place into the oven for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Summing It Up

Preparing mince recipes for fussy eaters is all about mixing creativity with simplicity. Stick to familiar flavours and get a bit inventive with mince to turn it into dishes that even the pickiest eaters will adore. Keep experimenting with different recipes until you find the ones that hit the jackpot. With these tips and recipes, you can make mealtime a breeze and ensure everyone enjoys tasty, balanced meals.

For more healthy meal ideas and tips, visit our Resources page at Feeding Fussy Kids. 

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Meet Dr Nick Fuller

My Story

As a father, I know first-hand that raising healthy and happy children is tricky. Children are fussy, particularly at the end of the day when they are shattered. We also live in a society where companies seek to profit from what we feed our kids; incorrect and damaging advice is pushed on us and marketed towards our children, and we have no time.

But with these recipes and resources, you and your children can enjoy simple and well-founded food and lifestyle choices for lifelong health.