Meatball bake

Meatball bake – an easy and scrumptious family meal any day of the week.

SAVE THIS RECIPE! Another easy go to, delicious recipe for the family. This was so good we had it two nights running🤤
Ingredients for meatballs
– 500g beef mince
– 250g pork mince
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 1 egg
– 3/4 cup of fine breadcrumbs
– Handful of spinach, finely chopped
– Pinch of salt and petter
– Pinch of mixed herbs

Ingredients for sauce
– 700g bottle of passata sauce
– 1 cup of water
– 1 crumbed beef stock cube
– 1 teaspoon minced/crushed garlic
– 1 teaspoon minced/crushed ginger
– Dash of olive oil
– 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
– Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method
– Mix all ingredients for the meatballs together.
– Form mixture into balls and place them in the fridge (I did them the size of a ping pong balls).
– Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add garlic and ginger until fragrant (usually less than a minute).
– Add passata, water and crumbed stock cube until it begins to bubble.
– Add meatballs to ovenproof tray/dish and spoon sauce over them.
– Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and place dish in the oven for 25 minutes.
– Sprinkle with Parmesan for extra cheesy goodness (optional) and serve with garlic bread (perfect for soaking up the sauce), rice, pasta or a fresh leaf salad.

Note: if you have an ovenproof skillet or pan you can add the meatballs directly into the sauce and pot the skillet/pan in the oven, removing the need for an additional dish.

Oh sweet memories!

Growing up in Ireland, one of my most favourite memories is my mum’s home baked apple tart made with Granny Smith apples. She made the dough from scratch and had the recipe written on a piece of paper. She made it so many times – it was that popular it was one of the first baked goods to sell out at our local baking fundraising events. Us kids grew up and got busy with our lives and the apple pies became less frequent. We then moved house and the recipe was lost, but I remember how happy I was every time I smelled sweet apple tart being made. Continue reading

Healthy after school snacks the kids will love!

For those of us in the southern hemisphere we are well into term 3 of school, and for those in the northern hemisphere it’s time to start a new school year. Recently the boys have been coming home from school ravenous. Knowing dinner isn’t far away I’m reluctant to give them snacks that are too filling but there’s no way they will last until dinner hour without something. The lovely Jennifer from Beautifully Alive has come to my aid and put together a list of quick snacks that will keep everyone happy! Continue reading

Healthy treats ideal for you

How’s the weather in your homeland? As we say goodbye to winter in the southern hemisphere and hello to autumn in the northern hemisphere, we are dragging our feet towards the end of term 3 of school (3 weeks and three days – yes I’m counting!!) and the new school year is just starting for our friends in the north. So I thought it was timely to post some (almost) healthy snack recipes that I’ve been using for school snacks and also as part of morning/afternoon tea. Share your snack recipes with me! Continue reading

Mini quiche boats

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a recipe. And today I’ve got a good one! My kids love quiche but it can get a little boring so to mix it up I’ve hopped on the band wagon and tried them in the ‘stand and stuff’ tortilla soft shells. They’ve been a big hit mainly due to the novelty of the ‘boats’.  Continue reading