This is a simple first casserole to start your baby on beef (read why babies need iron-rich food, such as beef, here). By adding the side veggies to the actual casserole, you can have a complete meal in a cube and then play with other flavour additions.

This may take a while to cook but it’s important to make sure the meat is as tender as possible or your baby will struggle to chew it. And remember, it’s cooking time not preparation time.

Aussie Beef Casserole recipe for babies

Age: 6 months plus

Suitable for freezing

Makes: 2 cups, including sweet potato

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion (100g), finely diced

1 small carrot (100g), peeled and diced

1 small stick of celery with strings removed, diced

½ garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons plain flour

200g casserole beef (try to use chuck or gravy beef, removing excess fat), diced

1 teaspoon Vegemite (optional)

150g (1 cup) diced sweet potato

Method

1. Heat the oil in a casserole dish over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 1 minute.
2. Place the flour in a separate bowl, add the beef and lightly toss to coat.
3. Push the veggies to one side of the casserole dish, add the beef and lightly brown.
4. Add the vegemite and 1 cup of water and simmer, covered, over low heat for 1.5 hours until the beef is super tender. Alternatively, cook in a 160℃ oven for 1.5 hours.
5. Puree to the desired consistency. Divide the portions and freeze.
6. Serve with mashed sweet potato and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Alternatively, you could add cubes of sweet potato to the casserole dish for the last 30 minutes of cooking

Tip: For a different spin, serve with mashed carrot and swede. Simply steam or boil a carrot and a small swede until tender and then mash as you would a potato.

This recipe is by Emily Dupuche, mum and author of ‘Food Babies Love: A Guide to Introducing Solids’, which contains practical baby food ideas that the whole family can enjoy. All the recipes are recommended by nutritionists, paediatricians, and child health professionals.

To order ‘Food Babies Love: A Guide to Introducing Solids’ head to the link here.