Grass-Fed Beef Bolognese

December 12, 2018

Elizabeth Maloney has come through again with a fantastic grass-fed beef Bolognese recipe. This warm, hearty comfort food is great for dinner or meal prep. It’s so delicious that we can’t wait to make more this season. Try it out and tag us in your version on Instagram with #NIKUCooks. Also, Check out our new holiday packages here.

Beef Bolognese

I like to make the whole recipe and use half for dinner and freeze the other half for later use. It can be repurposed on top of pasta, roasted vegetables or even in a sloppy joe form.

I love this recipe because it uses:

• Onions, which have shown to support a healthy heart with antiplatelet activity and antithrombotic activity.
• Garlic, which helps support the immune system with antibacterial activity.
• Red Peppers, which are high in antioxidants that help protect the liver.
• Mushrooms, which have been shown to be antiviral and anti-inflammatory.
• Tomatoes contain lycopene, which has been linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease.
• Grass-fed ground beef, which has a high ratio of healthy fats.
• Bone broth, which has many health benefits as seen here.

This is a delicious and easy sauce recipe that helps to make weekly meal prep a breeze.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of ghee, butter or olive oil, divided
• 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 1 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup bone broth, or broth of choice (low sodium)
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• ½ cup packed chopped basil
• Pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until browned (but not crisp). About ten minutes.
2. Add the chopped onion, pepper and garlic and saute until the onion is tender.
3. Add the ground beef and brown with the vegetables.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, oregano, chili flakes, bay leaf and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the stove down and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms to brown (until water is released). Set the mushrooms aside.
6. After the sauce has cooked for 45 minutes remove the lid and add the mushrooms and fresh basil.  Cook for another 15-20 minutes with the lid off so the sauce thickens.
7. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper.
8. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and fresh basil.