So, last week I made a big batch of Mexican style Mince that I then made into a Mexican Pasta Bake for tea on Thursday with the leftovers transformed into super quick Instant Pot Beef Enchiladas for tea on Friday!

I thought you might like to see how I make my Mexican Style Mince and then a couple of the ways that I turn it into meals – I absolutely love it made into a pasta bake and regularly make a giant pasta bake just so we can eat it for lunchtime leftovers too!

It’s one of those meals that’s absolutely made for batch cooking because it freezes so well and it’s also one where you can add in extras depending on what you have in at the time – so far I’ve made this with Quorn mince, with extra peppers as we had loads in, with grated carrot in it, and even with some fresh cherry tomatoes. I’ve also had to leave out the Mexican Spice once which defeats the object of ‘Mexican Style’ but I did add some cumin, paprika and chilli powder and made it more of a chilli instead and it still worked perfectly. 😂

In fact, the only version I haven’t really loved was when I decided to add mushrooms in as they just didn’t work for me. I’m just not a fan of slimy mushrooms which is what I got after cooking them, freezing them and then reheating in enchiladas.

Mexican Style Mince

Mexican style mince is super versatile and can be used for all kinds of recipes - from pasta bakes to tacos and from enchiladas to a topping for jacket potatoes!

Ingredients

750g ground beef mince
1 green pepper chopped
1 small yellow pepper
1 chopped onion (or a couple of handfuls of frozen chopped onion)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Mexican spice mix (follow the instructions on the pack and adjust according to taste)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes or a jar of bolognese pasta sauce if you have one lurking at the back of your cupboard

Instructions

Using a large pan, gently fry the onion with the garlic in a glug of olive oil until they onions are on the soft side.
Add in the mince and brown it before adding in the peppers and the Mexican spice.
Cook for about five minutes, stirring often and then add in the tomatoes/pasta sauce.
SImmer the mix, stirring often until the mince is cooked throuhh.
Serve however you fancy it!

Once you have your Mexican Style mince, you can freeze it in portions and use it to make so many different dishes…

Mexican Style Pasta Bake

Not an actual recipe for this one… I basically just mix the Mexican Style Mince in with pasta (amount dependent on how many people the meal is for and how much mince I’m using) and then top with a mix of around 50g breadcrumbs and 50g Parmesan cheese. I just mix the cheese and breadcrumbs together with a glug of olive oil and sprinkle it over the top. Then it’s into the oven at around 200 c to cook away until either the mince is cooked through if I’m cooking that from cold or until the topping is crispy and brown if I’m using the mince straight from the hob.

Quesadillas

Just pop some mince on a tortilla and top with salsa and grated cheese. Add another tortilla on top and cook as you’d normally cook a quesadilla.

Instant Pot Enchiladas

I have more of a recipe for this one you’ll be pleased to know!

Warm up a pack of tortillas in microwave slightly (wrap the entire stack in a paper towel and heat on high for 30 seconds).
Open tortillas one by one and add a couple of big dollops of your Mexican Style Mince.
Top with some grated cheese and roll up tightly.
Place each filled and rolled tortilla into the instant pot.
Pour half a jar of enchilada sauce on top (I know, I should try making my own but this really does make this a super quick meal).
Top with some more cheese, then close and lock the lid of your Instant Pot.
Set pressure cooker to Pressure Cook – High for 7 minutes.
Allow to natural release for 2-3 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure.
Once the pin has dropped and pressure is fulling released, open lid and serve.
Cut into pieces and serve, or using tongs, remove enchiladas individually and scoop sauce from the bottom of the dish.

Whatever you make with your Mexican Style Mince, enjoy!

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