Suitable from 7+ month
If you love macaroni cheese, spaghetti bolognese and lasagna then this one is for you because its somewhere in the middle of them all and it it utterly gorgeous! It’s the perfect recipe for cosy weeknight evenings, and it’s suitable for the whole family.
I created this recipe as my son loves pasta, however this week he decided he “doesn’t like lasagna”. He’s currently obsessed with macaroni cheese so I found a way to integrate some of our favourite family meals into this delicious combination.
This meal is suitable for kids, toddlers and also little ones under the age of 12 months and as young as 7 months old. If you're following baby led weaning then you can serve small portions of the bolognese macaroni cheese as it is, or if you are traditionally weaning, then pop it all in a blender with some vegetables to create a smooth puree.
Reasons I love this meal:
The meal can be prepared in advance
It can be frozen to be eaten at a later date
A hearty meal for the colder months
The whole family come back for seconds
The Bolognese Macaroni Cheese is made up of three components.
Bolognese
I make my own bolognese sauce for this meal, its extremely simple and I’ve been using it for years. You can use any bolognese recipe you wish if you have a preferred choice.
Cheese Sauce
The cheese sauce I create for this recipe is made up of butter, flour, milk and of course cheese. My preference for this meal is a mature cheddar cheese, but there are lots of other suitable options.
Macaroni
I precook the macaroni, but you could also substitute it with penne, fussili, conchiglie or even rigatoni.
I usually serve this Bolognese Macaroni Cheese with a side salad, alternatively it goes well with peas and sweetcorn. You can serve this dinner up with any of your favourite vegetables!
On this occasion I opted for beef mince in the bolognese sauce, but you could of course substitute this with chicken, turkey, pork or even Quorn mince for a vegetarian option.
If you like the look of this recipe then you should also definitely check out my Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna, One Pot Lasagna and Creamy Sausage Red Pepper Pasta
Bolognese Macaroni Cheese
Serves 4
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
350 dried macaroni
100g grated cheddar cheese
For the Bolognese
500g beef mince
250ml passata
2 garlic cloves
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1 optional beef stock cube (only for children over the age of 12 months)
For the cheese sauce
500ml of semi skimmed milk
1 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tbsp flour
200g cheddar cheese grated
Method
Preheat oven to 200°c (390°f)
Peel and dice the onion, dice the red pepper and finely chop, or crush the garlic cloves
Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat and add the diced onion, coating in the oil and allowing to sizzle for a few minutes stirring regularly until it turns translucent
Add the beef mince to the pan and use your spoon to break it up. Add the garlic and optional beef stock cube, then keep stirring and breaking up the mince until it turns brown
Add the red pepper to the pan and mix well, cook for another 2 minutes before adding the passata, bay leaf and dried oregano. Simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, drain and leave to one side
To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat and add the flour. Whisk until it becomes a thick paste, then gradually add the milk stirring as you go to create a roux. Finally add the 200g of cheese, continuously stirring until it has melted
Start to assemble your bolognese macaroni cheese similar to a lasagna, layer half of the bolognese sauce on the base, followed by half of the macaroni, then half of the cheese sauce. Add the other half of the bolognese sauce, the other half of the macaroni and the rest of the cheese sauce. Top with the remaining 100g cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes
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