Baby Kate's Beefaroni (Oamc) Toddler-Style

Creamy beef, carrots and pasta - just enough flavor but mild enough for my 1-year-old, who insists on feeding herself, but still can't chew everything. My daughter loved this. Make a batch and freeze in disposable snack containers (I got 8 small servings, approx 1 cup each.) ***This is an adoptee, I haven't worked through this recipe myself yet.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin, I use light tasting)
• 1  lb  extra lean ground beef (I used 94% lean)
• 1⁄2 small onion, very very finely diced
• 1 1⁄2 cups  coarsely grated carrots
• 1  medium fresh tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1  cup  filtered water
• 6  slices  of pasteurized process American cheese (not processed cheese "food")
• 8  ounces  uncooked pasta (choose something that chubby fingers can easily pick up, I used Barilla brand Pipette)

Directions

1. Heat oil in skillet.
2. Add beef, carrots, tomatoes and onions. Cook until beef is completely cooked and crumbly; carrots will be soft, onions and tomatoes will be virtually non-existent.
3. During this cooking stage, add the water to make a "sauce".
4. Set aside when done.
5. While cooking meat mixture, cook pasta according to package directions.
6. Drain pasta and combine with meat mixture.
7. Tear up the 6 slices of cheese and stir into beef/pasta mixture until a creamy sauce forms.
8. It's done!
9. Freeze in small containers.
10. To reheat, defrost in refrigerator and heat in microwave or sauce pan. You can add a little water (2 tsp or so) to keep moist while reheating.