Tag: Baby Led Weaning

Courgette Pasta Bake 3 Ways

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I was asked for a recipe that could be batch-cooked and frozen down for a baby as part of weaning using a courgette. So here is my Courgette Pasta Bake which can be used 3 different ways: either cook and eat straight away, as meal prep either in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a few months, or as mini individual pasta muffins which are great for weaning and can be frozen down as individual portions.

I’ve used semi-skimmed milk and a 30% less fat cheddar-style cheese to help keep the saturated fats down, but if you are making food for babies aged 2 and under use full-fat varieties.

I’ve also used a higher-fibre white pasta for extra fibre to help me reach my 30g recommendation for the day.

Makes 6 adult portions

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 60g plain flour
  • 1l milk
  • 1.5tsp English mustard
  • 300g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 courgettes (550g total), grated
  • 450g pasta of choice – I used an added fibre variety
  • 2-3 large tomatoes (optional), sliced

Method

  • Set the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection.
  • Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute before adding the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly till thick. Add the mustard and half the cheddar cheese and season with pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
  • Off the heat add the courgette to the sauce and mix in, and once the pasta is cooked, drain, and add to the courgette sauce and mix.
  • Option 1: Pour everything into an ovenproof dish, top with the tomato slices and remaining cheese and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling.
  • Option 2: Pour into an ovenproof dish, allow to cool and top with cheese when you are ready to cook. This can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Option 3: Divide the mixture into muffin cases, top with the remaining cheese and bake 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling. You can freeze these as individual portions for a baby – make sure they are piping hot in the middle when reheating in either the oven, air fryer or microwave.

Per serving: 478kcal/ 22g fat/ 13g saturated fat/ 42g carbohydrates/ 4.7g fibre/ 26g protein

Roasted Pumpkin and Cannellini Soup

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This easy soup also doubles up as an easy pasta sauce – win win! It’s naturally vegan if using a suitable stock powder, and if you use a no added salt stock cube it is suitable for babies and toddlers.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 600g pumpkin, skin on and cubed
  • 2 large onions, cut into 8ths
  • 2 sticks of celery, chopped
  • 1 tin of cannellini beans
  • 4 garlic cloves, skin left on
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 700ml no added salt stock
  • 100ml boiling water
  • 20g pumpkin seeds, finely chopped if serving to young babies

Method

  • Add the pumpkin, onion, celery, beans, garlic and olive oil to a large roasting tray.
  • Mix well before roasting in a preheated oven set to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection, stirring halfway through.
  • Once cooked, remove the garlic from its skin.
  • Bring the stock up to the boil and add the roasted vegetables, deglazing the roasting tin with 100ml boiling water.
  • Bring the mixture back up to a boil before blending till smooth.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Option to serve as a pasta sauce by stirring through freshly cooked pasta. Delicious with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast which is a great source of B vitamins and zinc.

Serve as soup, pasta or baby-led weaning pasta finger food

Per serving of soup: 175kcal/ 8.5g fat/ 1.3g saturated fat/ 17.0g carbohydrates/ 6.0g fibre/ 4.8g protein

Cauliflower & Broccoli Macaroni Bites

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When cauliflower cheese and macaroni cheese collide.

I made this recipe for child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed. She loved the idea of these muffins for baby led weaning. For more information on this topic head to her website.

Makes approximately 15 muffins

Ingredients

  • 180g macaroni – I have used a high fibre variety
  • 150g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 150g cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 40g butter
  • 45g plain flour
  • 600ml milk*
  • 1 tsp English mustard (optional)
  • 120g reduced fat cheddar cheese*, grated
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 egg
  • Oil for greasing OR muffin cases

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • Bring a large pan of water to boil. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, and steam the cauliflower and broccoli over the top of the pasta as it cooks.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
  • Slowly add in the milk a quarter at a time, stirring to prevent any lumps.
  • Option to add 1 teaspoon of English mustard.
  • Add half the grated cheese to the mix and allow to melt. Season with pepper to taste
  • Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir into the sauce with the cauliflower and broccoli.
  • Add the egg and mix.
  • Line a muffin tray with cases, or lightly grease a non-stick tray. Fill each hole with mixture (2-3 spoonful’s).
  • Top with the reaming half of cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes till golden brown.
  • Allow to cool completely in trays before removing unless in muffin cases, in which case you can remove after 5 minutes.

Suitable for freezing as easy grab and go options. Can be served cold, microwaved or oven heated.

*For children aged 2 and under use full fat dairy products including cheeses.

If you need an egg-free option you can omit the egg, but you will need to completely cool the bites in the tray and the chill them in the fridge before removing them so they can set in shape.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, you can make standard macaroni cheese by leaving the egg out and placing the mixture in an ovenproof dish. Simply top with the remaining half of cheese and bake in an oven set to 180°C fan for 25 minutes till golden brown and bubbling. You could also prep this dish ahead of time, pop it in the fridge and then bake for an easy mid-week meal for the family.

Per bite: 126kcal/ 5.2g fat/ 3.1g saturated fat/ 12.7g carbohydrates/ 2.2g fibre/ 6.2g protein