I have made Chow Mein for my family for years. The kids loved it as toddlers and I found it was a great way to add some vegetables into their meals, with mince which all kids love and a fun element of wiggley noodles. Now they are getting older I add in more curry for a stronger flavour, when they were young I only used a small pinch.
This recipe is so versatile, you can use up any vegetables you have in your fridge, ie, brocoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas etc.
I like to make a double batch and give the kids left over for school the next day.
Beef Chow Mein with noodles
Serves:
Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
10 mins | 15 mins | 25 mins |
Ingredients
- 1 packet instant beef noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 capsicum, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- Salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Make noodles following packet directions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook mince, onion and carrot for 5-10 minutes or until browned.
- Spoon garlic and curry powder over mince, stir through and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add capsicum, celery and zucchini into pan and stir through for 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
- Add in stock, oyster sauce and cabbage. Stir until cabbage has just started to soften.
- Top mince mixture with noodles, toss to stir through.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
By Kat – The Organised Housewife
click on image to view recipe
24 comments
I love chow mein! This looks quick, easy and yummy perfect for a midweek dinner and I love the idea of making a double batch and using leftovers for lunchboxes! Genius!
Awe thanks Sammie! It is so good for lunch the next day on toast LOL.:)
One of my husbands favourite recipes is chow mein, butI’m not that great at making it. I’m going to try your recipe next time – I know it will be a winner!
Ooh thanks Lucy! I find it’s a great go to dinner and great for those busy nights when the kids have after school sports. Hope your hubby likes it.:)
Yum. I made a similar thing with chicken recently and the kids loved it. I’ll give this beef recipe a go next. How do your kids go with eating it cold the next day? My boys will only have things such as pesto pasta with chicken cold for school lunch but I’d love to try some more leftovers like this.
Ooh i like the sound of chicken too! I might give that i go.:) It is really yummy cold, the kids like it cold too.:)
This looks really delicious! and the pictures are amazing very tasty beef chow mein with noodles .
Ooh thank you! It is a very tasty meal and so good the next day for leftovers too.:)
Great idea to help get more vegetables in the kids’ meals Kat! 😀
Thanks Lorraine.:) I try to throw as many vegetables in as i can x
Yum yum yum I cooked this tonight and it was a huge hit with the whole family! Even my 2 little fussy eaters.
Ooh that is wonderful, Amber! And even better your little one enjoyed it too.:) x
Yum, my kids would love this…why have I never made it for them? Super easy too….great idea to use for lunch and I suppose you could mix things up by using chicken mince sometimes…thank you xx
It does make a yummy leftover, Monique. And yes Chicken mince would also be very nice.:)
Thanks Kat…this one was a winner! I probably make chow mien about once a year from an old CWA cookbook. This one was so much more tasty and loved the addition of all the veggies.
Ooh that is fantastic, Tracey! Happy to hear it was a winner.:)
Mum used to make something similar to this and handed down the recipe to me – We use chicken noodle soup instead of chicken stock and rice as well. Ours is more a Stew in the end
ooh Adele, I like the sound of that, I might actually give it a go in the next few weeks!!
Hi thanks for sharing your recipe, sounds delicious !! Have you tried freezing this before ? Just wondering how it is if after been frozen ?
No i haven’t as we eat it all in one go, but I wouldn’t hesitate in freezing it. If you do please let me know how it freezes 🙂
I really loved this recipe. It was quick, easy and made a good quantity.
That’s super fabulous to hear lovely! Thank you x
Thank you for the reminder of this recipe Kat. Like Adele in a previous comment we also use Chicken Noodle Soup instead of the chicken stock and noodles. As my stomach has a bit of intolerance to garlic, onions and cabbage I use shallots in the place of the onions, garlic infused olive oil and chopped bok choy chopped in place of the cabbage. It does freeze really well and is fantastic for leftovers 🙂
You are so very welcome Catherine, and I think this recipe would be delicious with the chicken noodle soup! Kat x