Hands up who loves an easy, no fuss but delicious meal! This week’s recipe is smokey, spicy and intensely satisfying. It’s the perfect easy midweek meal. If I can make a recipe out of just one pot then I’ll do it. Firstly because it means it’s either really quick or really easy to make, and secondly because I hate washing up. So here’s my take on a one pan take veggie Tex-Mex meatball bake.
A few hacks that make this recipe super easy yet quick and still filling is adding butternut squash to the bake to bulk it out and by using veggie meatballs which cook very quickly.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 x pack of vegetarian meatballs ( I use either Linda McCartney fresh veggie meatballs or Quorn frozen meatballs)
- 300g Cubed Butternut Squash
- 1 x Red Onion
- 1 x Red Chilli
- 1 x Red Pepper
- 1 x Yellow Pepper
- 250g Cherry Tomatoes
- 400g Passata
- 2 Tbsp Chipotle Paste
- 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 2 x Avocado (sliced)
- Sour Cream
- Small bunch of Coriander
- 1 x Lime
- Salt
- Tortillas if you want to make it into baked meatball tacos
(The one pot pan should be deep enough to bake all ingredients in.)
Method:
1. Place butternut squash in pan of boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes
2. Splash olive oil in your “one pot” pan and set to medium heat. Dice the red onion and throw in. Sprinkle over some salt and cook for two minutes.
3. Chop the red chilli and add to the pan. Slice the red and yellow peppers finely and set aside.
4. Drain off and add the butternut squash to the pan. Followed by the red and yellow peppers. Simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Add two table spoons of chipotle paste and a splash of water. I like a real kick to my meals, so if you want it a little milder just add 1 tbsp or 1 tsp of chipotle paste. All the vegetables will get coated in the paste and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Now add the passata, cherry tomatoes and veggie meatballs. Add the cayenne pepper and another sprinkling of salt to season. Give the pot a big stir to coat everything in sauce. Place the lid on the pan and let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the base of the pan. (If needed add a cup of water to thin out the sauce)
7. Grate cheddar cheese (or a mozzarella blend if you fancy) and sprinkle on top of the dish, place under the grill until the cheese has melted (approx two minutes).
8. Serve in dishes alongside sliced avocado and some sour cream. Garnish with coriander and a wedge of lime. If you fancy grill some tortillas and have it as a taco dish too.
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