As with all of my family meals they have to be easy, quick & delicious and this 3 way slow cooker bolognaise ticks all those boxes! But not only is it a quick, easy and delicious, it also kills 3 birds with one stone as this makes enough for 3 family meals (assuming 4 adult portions per meal). You simply separate into 3 and freeze what you don’t need that day.
Slow cooker bolognaise 3 ways: Make 3 meals in one slow cooker
It’s that time of year again where the nights are getting darker by the day and all I really feel like doing towards the evening is eating, getting snuggly and watching movies. However I hate the thought of us eating convenience meals at a time where we need to keep our health in good stead. So my slow cooker comes out a lot during the autumn/winter months to keep us eating well but while not breaking the bank.
I tend to pop everything in the slow cooker around lunchtime unless I’m out during the day. In which case I throw it all in in the morning. You can even prepare your veg the night before if you want to really get ahead, or make a drop bag of all the ingredients and keep to hand in the freezer.
For recipes like this I love my Sear and Stew slow cooker as I can brown the meat beforehand for extra flavour. This isn’t necessary but does add that extra meaty flavour.
What you need:
- Slow cooker
- 750g Pork and Beef mince (I use the pre mixed one from Aldi, you can use just beef mince if you can’t get this or use a mix)
- 8 Garlic cloves crushed (we love a lot of garlic you can suit to taste)
- 4 Onions diced
- 2 Peppers diced
- 2 Courgettes diced
- 4 Carrots grated
- 2 Tins chopped tomatoes + 2 tins worth of water
- 1-2 Tsp Dried mixed herbs
- 1 Good squeeze of lemon juice or 1 Tsp White wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp tomato puree
- 1 good pinch of sugar
- 1 Vegetable/Beef stock cube
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Fry off your mince until browned all over, you can do this in your slow cooker pot (if your slow cooker pot can be put on the hob) or in a frying pan. If using a frying pan tip the browned mince into the slow cooker pot when ready.
- Add all the other ingredients to your mince and give it a good stir.
- Pop your slow cooker on for 6 hours low or 4 hours high.
- Taking the lid off the slow cooker for the last half hour can encourage the sauce to thicken if needed.
Bolonaise 3 ways
This Bolognese recipe should make enough for 3 separate meals (each meal serves 4 each) or 12 individual adult portions. My favourite 3 ways to serve this Bolognese are as follows:
Good old Spag Bol!
Grab yourself 300g of spaghetti, boil with a bit of salt and you have a good old family fave spag bol. Delicious!
Lasagne
Make up a white sauce (or you could add some cheese to make a more cheesy lasagne), layer bolognese with lasagne sheets and white sauce. Top with grated cheese or a sliced tomato and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.
Pasta Bolognese Bake
Cook up some pasta in some salty water. Mix the bolognese with pasta in a dish, grate over some cheese then bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
Other ways with bolognese?
Other ideas include.. bolognese over jacket potato with grated cheese, add some chilli powder and a tin of kidney beans to create a chilli con carne then serve with rice or simply serve with some garlic bread or part baked baguettes.
What other ways do you enjoy serving your bolognese?
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