Meat Sauce with Hidden Vegetables for Picky Eaters

This vegetable-filled meat sauce is a great way to get more veggies into your day or into your kids! It makes a large amount that freezes well, making it an excellent choice for meal prep.

Hidden Veggie Meat Sauce is especially helpful when trying to please a picky young eater but still feed them something healthy.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Onions
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Ground beef or turkey
• Dried basil
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Marinara sauce

How to Make Meat Sauce with Hidden Veggies

In a large, high sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add minced garlic and grated carrots. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove from pan and place in a large bowl. 

Place pan back on stove. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add ground beef or turkey, basil, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring to break up ground meat, until meat is cooked through and spices are well incorporated.

Remove from pan and add to bowl with veggies. 

Add the 2 jars of marinara sauce to the bowl of cooked meat and veggies.

Mix thoroughly to combine. 

The sauce is ready to enjoy or store!

Tips on Hidden Veggie Meat Sauce

• To Store: You can scoop it into containers/zip-top bags for freezing or store in the fridge for immediate use.
• Meal Prep/Freezing: Unless you’re feeding a big crowd, this recipe makes enough for multiple meals, making it perfect for meal prep. Just thaw and warm the sauce, then toss it with hot, cooked pasta. 
• Finely diced red, orange or yellow bell peppers also go well in this sauce.
• Use your food processor to chop the veggies if you want them extra small or are trying to hide them from a picky eater!
• Any ground meat can be used in this recipe - ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey all work great.

Meal Pairing

Fluffy garlic cheddar biscuits are delicious alongside this sauce.

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Hidden Veggie Meat Sauce

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This vegetable-filled meat sauce is a great way to get more veggies into your day. 

• Author: Katy McAvoy
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Total Time: 25 min
• Yield: 10 cups 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 - 24oz jars marinara sauce

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Instructions

In a large, high sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add minced garlic and grated carrots. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove from pan and place in a large bowl. 

Place pan back on stove. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add ground beef or turkey, basil, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring to break up ground meat, until meat is cooked through and spices are well incorporated.

Remove from pan and add to bowl with veggies. 

Add the 2 jars of marinara sauce to the bowl of cooked meat and veggies.

Mix thoroughly to combine. 

The sauce is ready to enjoy or store!

Keywords: hidden vegetables, veggies, meat sauce, pasta sauce, carrots, tomatoes, meal prep, dinner