12–18 months
Soft beef and vegetable casserole
Main mealPrep 12 minCook 35 minPortions: 3
Ingredients
- 100 g of lean minced beef
- 1 medium potato
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small courgette
- Water
Method
- Pick out any visible fat or gristle from the mince.
- Cook the mince in unsalted water, breaking up the lumps, until no pink remains.
- Peel the vegetables, cut them into small cubes and add them.
- Add enough water to cover and simmer until the vegetables crush easily with a fork.
- Mash lightly with a fork, leaving small soft pieces, and let it cool.
Texture
Small soft pieces of vegetable with finely broken-up mince, and no firm vegetable and no hard lump of mince left.
Serving
Serve warm and let your child eat it with a spoon. Portion out into a separate bowl.
Preparing for choking safety
Use lean mince with visible fat and gristle removed; mince is never served in lumps. Carrot is never given raw and the vegetables must soften enough to squash with gums. No stock cube is used.
Key nutrients
ProteinIronVitamin B12Zinc
Storage
Cool within 1 to 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate or freeze in small portions. Use a refrigerated portion within 2 days. Eat a defrosted portion within 24 hours. When reheating, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving, and reheat any portion only once. Throw away a half-eaten portion rather than storing or reheating it.
Safety
Your child should be sitting upright and someone should stay with them while they eat. No salt or sugar is added to these recipes; honey is not given before one year. Their back teeth may not be through yet, so every piece must be soft enough to squash with gums and cut to a safe size. Children do not all manage the same texture at the same age — follow your child's pace rather than pushing. If your child has an allergy, eczema, or a family history of allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing new foods.
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Recipes are a suggestion; they do not replace breast milk, formula, or your child's own feeding plan. If there is an allergy or a specific dietary situation, speak with a health professional.