You could win one of 6 pairs of spud gloves worth $25.00 or one of 4 potato meal packs which include 4 kgs of spuds and a can each of Mexican beans, boston beans and creamed corn from Watties.

We’d like to encourage you to teach a child how to cook one these holidays, use this practical guide so it’s easy for you and them.

To enter the draw: simply email us a picture of you and a potato, it might be the one you cooked with the kids, it might be one they decorated, maybe you took it out for coffee, or to the beach…
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Costs less than $10.00
This pasta bake makes 300 g of beef mince into a hearty family meal. The robust Italian flavour appeals to a wide range of diners and the cheesy topping can be enriched with addition grated cheese or a handful of parmesan if you budget allows.

Serves 4-6

300 g lean beef mince
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 capsicum (bell pepper) de seeded and chopped
1 800g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp mixed herbs
½ tsp oregano
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tsp beef stock powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp water        
200 g (2 heaped cups) dried pasta - macaroni, penne, shells…

1 tbsp butter or oil
1 heaped tbsp pl flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup grated cheese

Brown the mince in frying pan. Add the chopped onion, garlic and capsicum and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, stock, sugar and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet directions and assemble the cheese sauce.

Melt the butter or oil is a small saucepan, turn the heat to low and stir in the flour. Mix well and then using a whisk gradually add the milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously to create a smooth lump free sauce. when all the milk is added swap the whisk for a wooden spoon and stir the sauce continuously until it begins to thicken. Do not allow it to boil. When the sauce will coat the back of a spoon, stir in the grated cheese, mix well and set aside.

Drain the pasta and stir into the meat sauce, place in a heat proof dish and smooth over the top. Spoon the sauce over the top and grill or bake (depending on how much time you have) until golden.

Costs less than $10.00
Few people can resist the lure of crispy pastry. Add the savoury succulence of a herby sausage filling and you are onto a winner with the family.
Sausage meat can be fatty and all meat is expensive. This super stretcher recipe combines lean beef mince with the sausage meat for a healthier option and stretches 500 g of meat into 8-10 serves.

250 g sausage meat
250 g lean beef mince
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 onion chopped
2 medium potatoes scrubbed and boiled till tender.
¼ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup chutney
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry or a block of pastry (homemade short crust will also work if you have no frozen pastry)
1 egg for glazing - optional

Preheat the oven to 220°
Prepare the pastry by brushing a little water along one edge. Overlap the wet edge with the second sheet of pastry and press firmly (I roll over the join a few times with the rolling pin). If using block or homemade pastry roll it out to roughly 50 cm long and 24 cm wide.

Chop the onion and combine with the sausage meat, beef mince and herbs, this can be done in a food processor.

Slice the cooked potatoes into ½ cm slices. Combine the chutney and tomato sauce.
Brush a little water down one long side of the pastry. Spread the sauce mixture over the pastry not quite to the edges. Form the meat mixture into a sausage shape down the middle of the pastry, flattening it slightly so it is compact. Place the potato slices on top of the sausage and carefully wrap the pastry around the filling. Stretch the pastry a little if you need to, to accommodate the filling.

When you have joined the pastry along the length of the roll as best you can (don’t worry if it’s not perfect) carefully lift (using a long spatula) or slide the roll onto a greased baking tray, you may need to place it diagonally. Beat the egg lightly and brush over the pastry, then use a serrated knife such as a bread knife to cut slashes into the pastry top at 1 ½ - 2cm intervals.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until pastry is a rich golden brown. Slice and serve hot or cold with vegetables or salad.

Cooks tips:
We get at least 8 adult serves (2 slices per person) from this when we serve it with side dishes. If you are feeding little people you’ll get even more. If you don’t want to waste an egg on “glazing” the pastry, just brush it with milk.