This meat sauce recipe is loaded with vegetables your kids will never know are there – in this recipe we have used zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
Grating both the carrots and zucchini means that they will blend into the sauce making it very moist and rich in flavour.
This recipe makes a great lunch with any leftovers and also freezes really well for a quick homemade dinner for those busy weeknights.
You can turn this into an easy dinner with pasta, garlic bread, or as a topping on a baked potato.
Makes
8 portions
Prep Time:
35 minutes
Cook Time:
60 minutes
Good For:
dinner
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 2 onions diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 grated zucchini
- 2 grated carrots
- 1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- Ground salt and pepper to taste
- 1 x 28 fl oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 x 5.5 fl oz can tomato paste
How to make Veggie Loaded Meat Sauce
Check out our easy step by step video
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and golden
Step 2
Add in the beef and saute until brown, breaking it up as you go
Step 3
Add in the grated carrot, zucchini, and chopped mushrooms
Cook for 5 minutesÂ
Step 4
Mix in the stock cube, dried herbs, paprika
Add ground pepper to taste
Step 5
Mix in the ground tomatoes and tomato paste
Bring it up to a simmer and gently cook for 45 minutes checking back often to give it a stir and to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot
Step 6
Serve and enjoy with your favourite pasta
Tip
To freeze, portion into single servings in small freezer bags and freeze flat to make defrosting quick and easy
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Veggie Loaded Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oilive oil
- 2 onions diced
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 grated zucchini
- 2 grated carrots
- 1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- Ground pepper to taste
- 3 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft and golden
- Add in the beef and saute until brown, breaking it up as you go
- Add in the grated carrot, zucchini, and chopped mushrooms
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Mix in the stock cube, dried herbs, paprika, and celery salt
- Add ground pepper to taste
- Mix in the ground tomatoes and tomato paste
- Bring it up to a simmer and gently cook for 45 minutes checking back often to give it a stir and to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot
Notes
Nutrition Facts per serving
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.