Now that we have reached the one year mark and Andrew has gotten the hang of chewing and is tolerating more textures in his food, I have started feeding him just about anything he is able to manage with only two teeth.  If at all possible I let him try the foods that we are eating, but in the case of long, thin pastas at least some adaptations need to be made.  This is a simple version of a meat sauce that takes little time to prepare, and is a great way to incorporate red meat and veggies into your little one’s diet.  I transferred the cooked spaghetti to a cutting board and used a chef’s knife to cut up the noodles to ensure that there were no pieces too long mixed in to his food.  This seemed to work well.

As you can see, he LOVED this meal!  This was very popular and I have a feeling I’ll be making it often for him.

    Ingredients

    1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
    1 clove garlic, crushed
    1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
    1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
    3/4 cup sliced button mushrooms
    5 oz. lean ground sirloin
    1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
    1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
    A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
    Pinch of brown sugar
    1 bay leaf
    2 oz. spaghetti

    Directions

    • 01

      Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.  Add the grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes more.  Add in the remaining oil and saute the mushrooms for about 3 minutes.

    • 02

      Meanwhile, cook the ground sirloin in a separate skillet until browned.  Add in the cooked vegetables along with the tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and bay leaf.  Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes; remove the bay leaf.  Cook the spaghetti in unsalted water according to the package directions.

    • 03

      Puree the meat sauce using an immersion blender for a smoother texture.  Chop up the spaghetti into short lengths and stir into the sauce.

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