Lasagna Dinner!

Have you ever looked at the Stage 3 baby food dinners on the shelf in the grocery store? The names of dinners are foods that appeal to adults: Lasagna Dinner, Chicken & Vegetables, Beef & Vegetables. But when you read the ingredients, the dinners contain items we would never put into our meals: pear juice and rice flour in a Lasagna Dinner? But, baby food companies know what appeals to babies, so I decided to make a mock Gerber Lasagna Dinner, and Hungry Baby love it!

If you haven't been following this blog, take a look back at the older posts on how to make carrots and chicken. In this recipe, I utilize cubes of both carrots and chicken, and this is a great way to use some of those cubes that may have been in the freezer for a few weeks in a new and interesting way that appeals to a baby's taste buds. This recipe is also versatile; if baby likes chicken, add another cube to the recipe, if you don't have carrots, try butternut squash. Go crazy with it!

Baby's Age: 10 months and up

Consistency: smooth

Mock Lasagna Dinner

3 tablespoons Stelle, a very small, star-shaped pasta
1 cube chicken, defrosted
2 cubes of carrots, defrosted
2 tablespoons rice flour
3 tablespoons apple juice or pear juice
1 1/2 tablespoons canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon grated parmesan

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the stelle pasta and cook until very tender; usually longer than recommended on the package so the pasta is very easy for baby to gum. I usually test a few pieces before draining.

While pasta is cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. When pasta is very tender, drain in a colander with very small holes so the pasta doesn't slip through the holes. Add hot pasta to the chicken and carrot mixture and stir to combine. The heat of the pasta will melt the parmesan. Serve when slightly cooled.

The above recipe makes enough for two meals and can easily be doubled.