It is a well known fact that rabbits like carrots, which are also rather good for you due to the beta carotene they contain.
To celebrate the release of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 on Blu-Ray and DVD on 17th February I’ve made an extra carroty and orange bolognese served topped with a puff pastry bunny who has appeared having smelt the yummy carrots! Super powered carorabbit will be more than enough match for the hoards of tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses and cheesespiders!
Inventor Flint Lockwood though he had saved the world when he destroyed his most famous invention – a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now combining food and animals to create “foodimals!” Flint and his friends embark on a mouth-watering mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheesespiders and other foodimals to save the world – again!
I’ve blitzed some of the carrots into the bolognese sauce to make it extra orange and more appealing to rabbits, and hopefully to those little ones who do not like veggies. You can also serve this as a pasta sauce. The cute bunny head cutter is available from Hobbycraft.
And if you are looking for a meatless pasta, then check out my version here.
Recipe: Extra Carroty Bolognese
Ingredients
- Glug vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion – peeled & finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic – peeled & finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots – peeled and finely chopped
- 440 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 250 g beef mince
- 1 tbs plain flour
- 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic and carrots until they soften. Add the tinned tomatoes and allow to gently simmer for a few minutes. If you wish, blitz some of the sauce with stick blender to make a smooth orange coloured sauce.
- Whilst the sauce is cooking fry the mince in a frying pan over a medium heat until browned. Stir in the flour and cook for a few more minutes. Add the mince to the sauce and allow to gently simmer until cooked through.
- Using a rabbit shaped cutter cut shapes from a sheet of ready rolled puff pasty and cook according to the packet instructions.
- Serve the bolognese in a pie dish topped with an (optional) sprinkle of cheese and the puff pastry rabbit.
This is sponsored post and recipe development commission. Fuss Free Flavours received products & remuneration to compensate for time, skills, knowledge and costs incurred in developing the recipe and writing this post.
Many thanks to Hobbycraft for the rabbit cookie cutter.
Heidi Roberts
I love loads of carrots in my bolognaise sauce, in fact over the years the ratio of veggies to meat has dramastically changed!
Helen
We are firmly in the meat reducers camp Heidi. Yay for #extraveg
Lou, Eat Your Veg
LOVE LOVE LOVE this. And so would my kids. Great fun Helen!
Helen
Thank Lou! I’ll be using this – maybe with different animals!
Glamorous Glutton
I always used to grate carrots into my bolognaise to make mince go further and to get carrots into the Glam Toddlers. GG
Helen
Both frugal and extra veg!
Janie
Very cute, I too often grate carrot into a bolognese. it’s a great way to bulk out the meat.
Janie x
Helen
We are eating less and less meat these days. I really enjoy meat, but it seems to suit my body to eat less of it.
Sylvia
I have to try it on my little brother :) I’m sure he will love it as it looks so cute with bunny pastry on the top!
Helen
Thanks Sylvia, I shall be using the idea at a grown up dinner party for a bit of fun!
Fiona Maclean
I have to say mum always used to pad out mince with lots and lots of veg. though she seldom made bolognese. It adds flavour too!
Helen
If you have good quality meat you can really really pad it out and still taste it. And loads of extra veg is so much better for you.
Corina
I love the little rabbits on top. I’ll have to try blitzing some of the carrots in mine as my daughter always picks them out and leaves them.
Helen
Thanks Corina, the carrots do make it very orange! I hope blitzing them in works!
Lynn
Fabulous rabbits!
Helen
thank you.
ManjiriK
aww those rabbit puffs are so cute !
Helen
Thank you! I did rather enjoy making them.
Beth Sachs
My kids would love the puff pastry rabbit Helen! I always cut the veg up really small for my bolognese…so the kids don’t moan about the amount of veg I put in it
Helen
I love my little puff pastry rabbit Beth. So cute, and endlessly adaptable.
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry
I love both the recipe and the crockery.
Helen
Thanks Bintu! Good old Antropologie.
Jude - A Trifle Rushed
What a super idea and I adore the bunny! This would work with lots of tasty things at Easter, I’m going to email it to friends with fussy eaters, a great way to smuggle extra veggies in.
Helen
Thanks Jude, the idea will rolled out again and again, I have some plans up my sleeves.
Jacqueline
I love the rabbit toppers. Very cool.
Helen
Thanks Jac!
Choclette
Ahh, I grew up with lentil Bolognese and this always has carrots in. It’s never had a cute little rabbit in it though.
Helen
Easily adaptable with lentils. I rarely make bolognese for some reason.
Nayna Kanabar (@citrusspiceuk)
I am in love with the puff pasty bunny.
Helen
Thanks Karen, easy to substitute some lentils for the beef!
[email protected]
Love this recipe and that rabbit cutter is a must. I always add in extra veg to my meat sauces but your way of serving it has got me wanting to eat it with a pastry top, so much more appealing!
Helen
Thank you Laura!
Janice Pattie (@FarmersgirlCook)
lol thought that was a fish on top till I read the post. Very tasty looking and healthy too.
Helen
My mother also thought it was a fish! Multi purpose cookie cutters!
Morgan @ Peaches, Please
Um, the bunny is adorable. The bolognese looks pretty tasty too!
Helen
Thanks Morgan.
Tina @ The Spicy Pear
I love carrots and can imagine this must add some lovely flavours to your bolognese sauce. Love the rabbit shaped pastry topping.