Stephanie's Kitchen / Web 2012 / Hidden Veggies Pasta Sauce

May 1, 201212:20 PMStephanie's Kitchen

Healthy Family Recipes for Picky Kids

Hidden Veggies Pasta Sauce

This meal is a staple at our house. We eat WAY too much pasta but we all love it so what-a-ya gonna do? This pasta sauce makes me feel a little bit more like a responsible parent than when I just slide some buttered noodles in front of them (which happens a lot). This recipe is doubled. I put half in the freezer and the other half will feed a family of 4, plus plenty for left overs.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
• 45 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 3 carrots, grated
• 1 onion, diced
• 5-6 small sweet peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• red wine
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions:

• I use a box grater to grate the carrots. The second to smallest grating side works really well.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute garlic, carrots, onion and peppers for 3 - 4 minutes or until just soft.
• Add tomato paste and combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Brown ground beef in the same pot. Season well with salt & pepper. Drain grease.
• Return the carrot/onion mixture to the pot and combine with meat.
• Add tomato sauce and a glug of red wine (red wine is optional).
• Stir and add bay leaf.
• Simmer on low while the water for the pasta heats up.

Sit back and enjoy watching your kids consume veggies that they may or may not have agreed to consuming.

Find more from Stephanie at www.hugskissesandsnot.com.