Mince it up this week with Neven Maguire

Today I have two meals that will not break the budget and that all of the family can enjoy. You can freeze these meatballs raw, so you might like to double the quantities. In Sweden, meatballs are made with minced beef or a mixture of minced beef and pork – as in this recipe. Dill is used a lot in Scandinavian cookery, but if you are not keen on it you could use parsley or basil instead. I like these meatballs with mashed potato but you could also serve them with rice or pasta.

This sloppy joe is a version of a sandwich that is an all-American classic. It consists of minced beef cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, often with the addition of kidney beans. This is a variation of chilli con carne – a sweet and sour version. The chorizo makes it nicely aromatic and gives a bit of a kick without being too spicy. You won’t get better than Gubbeen Smokehouse.

Happy cooking.

Classic Swedish meatballs

Serves four

250g (9oz) lean minced beef

150g (5oz) minced pork

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra to garnish

2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

1 small onion, very finely chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil

15g (1/2oz) butter

1 tbsp plain flour

400ml (14fl oz) hot beef stock (from a cube is fine)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Creamy mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and cranberry jelly or lingonberry jam, to serve (available in specialty Swedish food stores such as Ikea)

1 To make the meatballs, combine the minced beef and pork in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, dill, onion and egg. Season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and form into 20 bite-sized meatballs. Chill until needed, as this will help them to firm up.

2 Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan and use to brown the meatballs – you may have to do this in two batches. Remove from the pan. Melt the butter in the same pan and then sprinkle over the flour, stirring to combine. Cook for two minutes, then slowly whisk in the beef stock and mustard. Keep whisking until it is a thick gravy.

3 Return the browned meatballs to the pan and simmer gently for another five minutes or so until the meatballs are cooked through and the gravy has slightly reduced and thickened.

4 Place a dollop of mashed potatoes on each warmed plate and spoon over the Swedish meatballs in gravy. Garnish with the dill and add some green beans with a spoonful of cranberry jelly or lingonberry jam to serve.

American-style sloppy Joes

Serves four to six

1 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil

50g (2oz) raw chorizo, diced

350g (12oz) lean minced beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 small green chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp light brown sugar

400g can kidney beans in chilli sauce

To serve

1 Little Gem lettuce, shredded

100g cheddar cheese, grated

Handful sliced jalapeño chillies (optional)

4-6 large wholewheat wraps

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the rapeseed oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the chorizo until it just starts to bleed its oil. Add the minced beef. Stir-fry until the meat starts to brown, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, green pepper and the chilli, if using, and continue to cook for another five minutes or so until the vegetables are beginning to soften.

2 Add the tomato puree, honey, mustard, vinegar and sugar and stir until well combined. Season to taste and then bring to a simmer and cook for another two to three minutes until the sauce is nice and thick. Stir in the kidney beans and allow to heat through.

3 Heat a large non-stick frying pan and heat each wrap for about 10 seconds on each side. Arrange the lettuce down the middle of each wrap and then spoon over the sloppy joe mixture.

4 Scatter the grated cheddar on top with the jalapeño chillies, if using. Tuck in the ends, then roll up to enclose the filling. Cut in half on the diagonal and arrange on plates to serve.