At this time of year when it’s chilly outside a warm classic meal like this can really hit the spot. I had a craving for a good bolognese and was actually smart enough to write it down while I cooked this time! I am not the best at doing that. Now, as is always the case for me, I wanted to make sure there were extra veggies in this dish – this way it could really be a complete meal. For those of you with kiddos (or picky husbands, ahem), having small bits of veggies mixed in can help them gobble everything up without a second thought. The key, based on the level of vegetable-pickiness that you’re dealing with, is to make them really small. So chop the veggies to your desired size – and honestly you can even rice them in the food processor if you want them to be almost invisible. If you’re just feeding yourself, well then who cares what size the veggies are and just enjoy this satisfying meal! I definitely recommend serving this over some spaghetti squash or veggie noodles. 

Classic Hidden Veggie Bolognese

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A healthy, Whole30, paleo recipe for classic bolognese that helps sneak in some extra veggies. Easy and ready in 30 minutes.

Author: Grace Brinton

Recipe type: Dinner

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 Tbl ghee
• 1½ lbs grass-fed ground beef
• ½ lb pasture-raised ground pork
• 1½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion (small dice)
• 3 ribs celery (small dice)
• 2 large carrots (small dice)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1-2 cups frozen chopped spinach or kale (well chopped)
• 25 oz tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tsp ghee. When the pan is hot, add the meat and brown until mostly cooked through. Season with half the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside. Return pan to heat, add remaining ghee to melt. Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes until translucent. Add celery, carrots, garlic, herbs and remaining salt and pepper. Saute another 5 minutes until veggies soften slightly. Then add the spinach and return meat to the pan with tomato sauce. Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, cover pan and allow to simmer gently for at least 15 minutes.
2. Optional Additions: feel free to add additional veggies such as diced sweet potato. I am always trying to add in as many veggies as I can to a dish!

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