Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese with Hidden Vegetables Recipe

Today's recipe for my ultimate hidden-veg-stuffed, slow-cooker bolognese is one that I've literally been intending to share with you for years now!

This easy hidden vegetable bolgonese is a real staple family meal that I make very regularly, if only because it's the one meal I can absolutely guarantee that my entire family will gobble down and ask for more, even my fussy 4 year old.

I have to confess that I got as far as taking photos of this recipe a few years ago, but the light was dying at the time and the photos came out horribly, so I couldn't bear to share them!

I'm pleased to have finally managed to do my bolognese recipe justice with my somewhat improved photography skills and I even manged to film the making of the recipe this time, so you can see the full rainbow of vegetables that disappear into the slow cooker and magically turn into this yummy bolognese!

I usually make a really big batch of this bolognese sauce, which can be split into two or three meals (depending on your family size), with the leftovers frozen or kept in the fridge for two or three days to eat again later in the week.

I also use this as the base for other dishes - it's great for adding to a pasta bake or a lasagne and can even be turned into a curry - check out my leftover bolognese curry recipe!

You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your needs - skip some of the vegetables or add different ones depending on what you have to hand - celery, aubergine and/or sweetcorn make great additions for example.

Slow Cooker Bolognese with Hidden Vegetables

Ingredients (serves 8 with leftovers):

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1kg lean minced beef
• 2 red or yellow peppers or one of each.
• 1 courgette
• 1 carrot
• 250g mushrooms
• 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 3 Tbsp tomato purée
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp dried mixed Italian herbs
• salt & pepper to taste

Method: 

Peel and chop the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil then fry the onions until soft, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking. Tip onions and garlic into the slow cooker.

In the same frying pan, fry the beef mince in the remaining oil until browned all over. You may need to do this in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your frying pan.

As soon each batch of meat is browned, tip it into the slow cooker.

Prepare the rest of the fresh vegetables; de-seed and chop the peppers, grate the courgette, grate the carrot, chop the mushrooms (the finer the better for picky children!).  Once prepped, add each vegetable to the slow cooker.

Pour in the 3 tins of tomatoes, crumble in the stock cubes and add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and herbs to the slow cooker.

Mix well until all of the bolognese ingredients are well combined in the slow cooker.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

Once cooked, give the bolognese a good stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with cooked spaghetti, a sprinkling of cheese and fresh basil to garnish (optional).

Enjoy!

Note: You won't need to add any liquid other than the tinned tomatoes as the vegetables will release a lot of their own liquid. You may even need to drain off a little excess liquid at the end. To do this, just scoop it up from where it has pooled at the edges with a large spoon before stirring the bolognese.

For more easy family friendly dinner ideas and recipes like this one, check out the Family Friendly Meals section here on the Eats Amazing blog or pop over and follow the Eats Amazing recipes Pinterest board for fresh and seasonal inspiration all the year around!

Do you have any favourite slow cooker meals? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!

Grace

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Bolognese with Hidden Vegetables

This easy slow cooker bolognese is stuffed full of hidden vegetables for a healthy kid-friendly meal the whole family will love! 

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

0 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8 people

Author: Grace Hall

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 kg lean minced beef
• 2 red or yellow peppers or one of each.
• 1 courgette
• 1 carrot
• 250 g mushrooms
• 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 3 Tbsp tomato purée
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp dried mixed Italian herbs
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Peel and chop the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
• In a large frying pan, heat the oil then fry the onions until soft, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking. Tip onions and garlic into the slow cooker.
• In the same frying pan, fry the beef mince in the remaining oil until browned all over. You may need to do this in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your frying pan.
• As soon each batch of meat is browned, tip it into the slow cooker.
• Prepare the rest of the fresh vegetables; de-seed and chop the peppers, grate the courgette, grate the carrot, chop the mushrooms (the finer the better for picky children!).  Once prepped, add each vegetable to the slow cooker.
• Pour in the 3 tins of tomatoes, crumble in the stock cubes and add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and herbs to the slow cooker.
• Mix well until all of the bolognese ingredients are well combined in the slow cooker.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
• Once cooked, give the bolognese a good stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with cooked spaghetti, a sprinkling of cheese and fresh basil to garnish (optional).

Video

Notes

Note: You won't need to add any liquid other than the tinned tomatoes as the vegetables will release a lot of their own liquid. You may even need to drain off a little excess liquid at the end. To do this, just scoop it up from where it has pooled at the edges with a large spoon before stirring the bolognese.

Want to try this recipe? Why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it again!