Batch cook: Spaghetti Bolognese

Siobhan Berry, owner of Mummycooks.ie, shares a delicious family favourite that is perfect for batch cooking! This Spaghetti Bolognese is sure to be a winner with the kids and our top tip will save you time in the kitchen.

900g beef mince
60g pancetta
4 carrots
2 white onions
4 stalks of celery
1 jar of tomato passata
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
200ml low salt beef stock
4 cloves of garlic
Optional 2 tsp cornflour or arrowroot mixed with 2 tsp of cold water, to thicken
Olive oil

Begin cooking off the pancetta in a large pan. Once it has begun to crisp, add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add the onions and pancetta to a large pot.

Return the pan to the heat and sauté the celery and carrots with 2 tbsp of oregano.

Add the carrots and celery to the pot.

Return the pan to the heat again and add the mince to brown off with the garlic, remaining oregano and the nutmeg.

Once the mince is nicely browned add it to the pot followed by the passata, tinned tomatoes, stock and bay leaves.

Place the pot over a high heat and bring to the boil, mix through, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Once it has cooked fully to thicken, either bring back to the boil and reduce down or stir in the cornflour/arrowroot.

Serve with your choice of pasta and enjoy!

Main ingredients
Beef, Pasta & Noodles, Vegetables

Recipe Type
Dinner, Batch Cooking

Cuisine
Italian

Level of Difficulty
Moderately Easy

Our top Mummycooks tip for quick and easy batch cooking is to pulse your vegetables in a food processor rather than spending ages peeling and chopping - you can thank us later!

Storage:

Allow to cool for up to two hours and then place in your fridge for about half an hour. Your bolognese is now ready to go into the freezer. Place your MummyCooks containers into a zip-lock bag, and label it. Use within 3-4 months.

To defrost:

Place in the fridge overnight or use the defrost button on your microwave. Never let it defrost on the counter-top.

Portion guide:

Small Child's portion: Store in our 8oz/237ml MummyCooks Portion Pots

Adult's Portion: Store in our 12oz/355ml MummyCooks Portion Pots

Writer Siobhan is the owner of Mummycooks.ie, who want to inspire, educate and empower parents to feed their children healthy, home-cooked food. Her blog is a great resource for feeding your child with lots of tips and recipes.

For more advice and some great family-friendly recipes, check out the Mummycooks website.