I love hiding veggies in meals my little one already loves … and this hidden veggie lasagne is a huge hit at our house. It’s packed with vegetables but they are almost impossible to notice! It’s a great way to introduce veggies to picky eaters.
The first time Ava had lasagna was at an Italian restaurant in Paris. At 10 months old she gobbled a bowl of bite size lasagne (as we call it in French) and asked for seconds. I knew I had to cook this again for her as soon as we got home to Boston, and take this opportunity to load the lasagna with healthy veggies. Ava loved this hidden veggie lasagne and I did a happy dance in the kitchen as she was eating the cauliflower sauce by the spoonful!
Why make a hidden veggie lasagna?
Lasagna is the perfect meal to load up with sneaky vegetables. Let’s be honest if you stuff things in between layers of pasta, kids usually won’t fuss too much about eating it! This hidden vegetable lasagne has loads of mushrooms, carrots and cauliflower goodness. You could easily add more veggies, or substitute with what you have on hand. I’ve made this with a whole bag of baby spinach and some zucchini and it was delicious as well.
The highlight of this hidden veggie lasagne is the cauliflower bechamel sauce. I grew up eating traditional French bechamelle, which is one of my mom’s favorite sauces. I couldn’t believe it when I tasted this cauliflower version… you can barely taste the added veggie! With a general layer of melted cheese on top, the cauliflower bechamel adds another layer of sneaky veggies. Even if your little one (or your hubby) isn’t a fan of cauliflower, they most likely won’t notice that it is even there… just don’t mention it to anyone!
Is hiding vegetables in toddler food a good idea?
I’m 100% on the team sneaky veggies… On average, a toddler needs 1 to 1½ cups raw or cooked vegetables per day. Getting to that amount if you have a picky eater can become a huge struggle, and many parents are constantly nervous about their kids not eating enough veggies during meals.
Of course it is very important to keep offering vegetables to your little one in their original form. Getting toddlers to enjoy eating vegetables and teaching healthy eating habits is a crucial part of your little one’s development. But parenting is a tale of many compromises… If mealtime is a battle, focus on getting these healthy veggies in their diet first. Hidden vegetable recipes perfectly achieve this goal: your toddler is eating vegetables hidden in tasty familiar meals and your family can enjoy stress free meals together.
Will my kids pick the veggies out?
No chance! The secret of this hidden veggie lasagna is that all the veggies are blended in the sauce, which make them impossible to detect even by the pickiest eaters. The red sauce with the ground beef tastes like a delicious bolognese.
Get more hidden veggie recipe ideas that even the pickiest eaters will love
Can I substitute ground beef for a leaner meat?
Absolutely! I haven’t tried this yet but you could totally make this lasagna with ground turkey or ground chicken. You will cut down on calories and end up with a healthier version of the dish.
How to make a vegetarian hidden veggie lasagna
Our toddler loves meat so this hidden veggie lasagne recipe has a generous serving of ground beef. But you could totally make it vegetarian by replacing the ground beef with red lentil and adding some extra vegetables. I’d recommend a whole zucchini and 6 cups of baby spinach. Just cook your lentil separately and substitute for the ground beef.
Hidden Veggie Lasagne
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
- 3 Cups cauliflower florets steamed
- 1/2 Cup milk
- 1 Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Veggie Bolognese
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 Cup mushrooms chopped
- 1 Cup tomato sauce
- 1 Cup broth
- Spices to taste
Lasagna
- 12 sheets no cook lasagna noodles or cooked according to package directions
- 1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare the creamy cauliflower sauce:
- Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until creamy and incorporated. Transfer to a pan. Cook the mixture until you achieve a creamy consistency and the cheese is fully melted. Remove from heat.
Prepare the veggie bolognese:
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent (around 4 minutes). Add carrots and cook until soft.
- Incorporate the ground beef, salt, pepper and spices and cook until browned (around 3 minutes).
- Add mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour tomato sauce and broth into your pan. Cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until thickened and smooth.
Assemble the lasagne:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 Cup creamy cauliflower sauce in the bottom. Cover with cooked lasagna noodles (or raw no cook noodles). Spread veggie bolognese and top with lasagna noodles. Repeat the process alternating between creamy cauliflower sauce and bolognese. Top with last layer of lasagna noodles with creamy cauliflower sauce and spread mozzarella and parmesan cheese evenly on top.
- Take to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until done.
