Beef and lentil Bolognese - Base recipe
8 serves
20 m
75 m
Introducing our 'Beef and lentil Bolognese' recipe, a part of our heart-healthy Batch Cooking collection, designed to simplify your meal prep routine.
The recipes in this collection are carefully developed to help you enjoy a balanced meal plan while saving you time. Start with this base recipe and use it to make two meals - one to enjoy now and another to refrigerate or freeze for later.
Savour a hearty dinner tonight with our 'Beef and lentil Spaghetti Bolognese', then effortlessly store away another portion for our 'Beef and lentil Sloppy Joes'. It's the ideal choice for those busy evenings when cooking from scratch feels like an impossible task. Let our recipe collection inspire you to conquer weeknight dinners with ease, one deliciously convenient meal at a time.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1kg extra lean beef mince
- 2 carrots, grated
- 375g mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried red lentils
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
- ⅓ cup no added salt tomato paste
- 2 x 400g cans no added salt chopped tomatoes
- 700g jar tomato and basil passata
- 2 cups (500ml) reduced salt beef stock
Method
Step 1
Heat oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until light golden.
Step 2
Add mince. Cook, breaking up lumps, for about 10 minutes or until well browned. Add carrot, mushrooms, lentils, herbs and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in tomatoes, passata, stock and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Step 4
Transfer half the Bolognese sauce to a large freezer-safe container (or divide into smaller containers) and set aside to cool for 1 hour. Label and date, then seal and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips
- Use a 375g punnet of pre-sliced mushrooms to reduce prep time.
- This recipe contains lots of hidden veggies to bump your family’s daily veggie count.
- Check labels on passata and choose the brand lowest in sodium.
- For individual serves, divide single portions of Bolognese sauce into small freezer-safe containers, instead of using a large container.
