I made this tonight for our dinner and had no intentions of putting a recipe on here, hence the terrible pictures.  It was so tasty though and both children asked for seconds.  I shared it on my Instagram stories and was inundated with messages asking for the recipe so figured I’d use the pictures I have and share it for anyone who wants it.

I was inspired by pictures I saw online but didn’t follow a recipe so I’m not sure if this is how it should be made but it worked for me and I will definitely be making it this way again.

I used a casserole dish to cook in that can go on the hob and in the oven just to save on washing up, if you don’t have one you can just cook the bolognese in a pan and transfer to an oven proof dish to go in the oven.

When I’m cooking I rarely measure things out and basically just follow my instinct so I’ve tried to be as exact as I can but honestly, just measure the ingredients with your heart!

For this recipe I just did a basic bolognese however you could make it even healthier by hiding extra veggies in there like in this recipe: https://friendlyfirstfoods.co.uk/bolognese-with-hidden-veggies/

You can use various cheeses depending on your preference, we used a mixture of cheddar and grated mozarella.

We didn’t use onions as my family doesn’t really like them but you could definitely add them in too.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 500g passata
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 100ml beef stock
• Mixed herbs (to taste, I used about 1 tsp)
• A dash of Worcester sauce
• A dash of balsamic vinegar
• 250g macaroni
• 200g grated cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional, leave the salt out if making for babies)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°c
• Brown the mince in a pan and drain any excess fat.
• Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then add the passata, tomato puree, beef stock, herbs, Worcester sauce and balsamic vinegar.  Mix well, reduce the heat and simmer to reduce for approx. 15 minutes.
• While the bolognese is simmering, cook the macaroni as per packet instructions.
• Transfer the bolognese into an oven proof dish and add the macaroni on top.
• Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and place in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden on top.
• Serve and enjoy!