Beef mince to use but no carrots

[ReallyShouldBeDoingSomethingElse]

Does anyone have any ideas? I was going to make bolognese but have realised I've no carrots, celery or pancetta/bacon so that seems a lost cause 😅

I have onions, garlic, leeks, courgettes, spinach, frozen butternut squash, but nothing red like peppers or carrots to sweeten anything.

Also have potatoes, rice, pasta, couscous

Any ideas gratefully received...

Crispy potato topped beef keema pie? You can put in the spinach, onions, garlic and top with the potatoes? If you part cook the potatoes and toss in turmeric before topping the pie it's delicious.

Meatballs? I just chuck in Italian herbs / smidge of chilli and garlic and an egg to bind them.

I don’t put carrots in bolognese or celery or bacon

I never put bacon, carrots or celery in bolognese so that's still an option as long as you've got tinned tomatoes. Then you could make lasagne. Or meatballs.

Chilli if you have some cumin /paprika/spice mix.
Burgers (make wedges with potato).

Make these! https://www.justonecookbook.com/moms-korokke-croquette/

Burgers?

I loathe and detest carrots and I think celery is pointless. I put onion, garlic, mushrooms and sometimes courgettes into my bolognese. Depending on how sweet the tomatoes are you can throw in half a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten.

Bobotie is my other mince recipe - key ingredient is curry powder and aside from that there are many variations, you will need eggs, though.

I don't think carrots, celery or bacon are standard in bolognese. I'd just make one with what you've got instead of those things.

some kind of pilaff?
Soften the onions, add the mince, garlic, chuck in whatever spices you have - turmeric is best, but curry powder or cumin would work. Even better if you have a few dollops of harissa. Chuck in 100ml beef stock (or water) and wilt the spinach into the beef. Stir it all through steamed rice.

I can't believe you wouldn't make a bolognese just because there's no carrots, OP!🤣 I've made one without onions and garlic before!

I only ever put carrots in when I'm trying to hidden veg my sauce for kids. You can make a perfectly nice bolognese without bacon, carrots or celery! I do always like to have onion though if possible. But bolognese has to be one of the the most forgiving sauces around. You can make it 50 different ways with different things and it ends up tasting largely the same anyway.

Neither do l!

Why do you need to sweeten your food?!

Bolognese in our house:

olive oil
onions
garlic
beef mince
mushrooms
tinned tomatoes
salt/pepper
beef Oxo cube
dried oregano
(sometimes some red wine)

Nor me. Ever!

Taco seasoning and colorful peppers, served on cauliflower rice?

another one who doesn't put carrots or bacon in bolognese.

Make a savory mince with onions, splash of worcester sauce, wine, whatever you have and serve it with potatoes and spinach.

This is one of the most middle class OPs I've read for ages.... 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 You can't make bolognaise because you don't have carrots or celery, give me a break! Only one of the top five Google recipes for bolognaise uses carrots and then it's only one!

Try harder OP

Thanks for all the ideas. Looking into some of these now.

As for this:

Why do you need to sweeten your food?!

What do you think your Oxo cube does? Adds salt and sugar basically and other flavour enhancers...

Is it really necessary for people to be so snidy on a simple thread about food?

Yes, I can make a sauce to chuck on some pasta using the ingredients I've got but it's actually pretty standard to start a bolognese with onion/celery/carrot and I know I'll miss the other flavours if I just make it without so I thought I might discover some other ideas for using the mince rather than being stuck in the bolognese rut!

Pretty sure there is no sugar in oxo.

Carrots wouldn't be my downfall to SB. You could have fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, stuffed peppers, burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, keema, kofte, shepherds pie...

Beef oxo:

Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Maize Starch, Yeast Extract, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Guanylate), Colour (Ammonia Caramel), Beef Fat (4.5%), Autolysed Yeast Extract, Dried Beef Bonestock, Flavourings, Sugar, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Onion Powder

Basically, you could chuck this in anything and it'll tick all the boxes for your tastebuds as it covers all the sweet/salty elements we think are delicious. So yes, you're unlikely to miss carrots in a bolognese if you're adding something like this. I've got bowel disease so my body can't cope with things like Disodium Guanylate.

I agree with you OP - I always use soffrito in my bolognaise and I don't care if it's "authentic" or not. I'm bloody sure that courgettes and mushrooms aren't authentic either

If you have a few hours, you can make an amazing bolognese with the mince (browned), bit of wine (optional), tinned tomatoes, an onion cut in half and chucked in with the tomatoes, and a large knob of butter (these last 3 are absolutely essential). Leave to simmer for 2-3 hours (or longer if you can, stir occasionally). Add a bit of salt if your tomatoes don't have any (or to taste), likewise a small sprinkle of sugar will bring the flavours out too. Amazingly simple and delish.

(I usually start my bolognese with onion, carrot and celery too, but recently tried this and it was fab)

Oh forgot to mention I put a splash of milk in towards the end! Takes the acidity from the tomatoes. Yum but again not essential.