Woolworths &Veg Beef Meatballs With Carrot Celery Tomato & Onion 400g

Happy to try but wouldn't buy. I found this 400gm (20 meatballs) sample of Beef Meatballs with carrot, celery, tomato and caramelised red onion with the refrigerated ‘Cook’ range, not with the other meatball products. It normally sells for $7 but was on special for $6. The first thing I noticed was the how neat the meatballs were in their packet, all neatly spaced out and of a good consistent size. I liked the indents in the packaging keeping them separate. These meatballs contain 71% Australian beef and are made in Australia from at least 89% Australian ingredients which is good. It is also good they have a 3. 5 health star rating and contain no artificial colours or flavours. Unfortunately, however, they contain sulphites which I always try to avoid. I decided to ... MoreHappy to try but wouldn't buy. I found this 400gm (20 meatballs) sample of Beef Meatballs with carrot, celery, tomato and caramelised red onion with the refrigerated ‘Cook’ range, not with the other meatball products. It normally sells for $7 but was on special for $6. The first thing I noticed was the how neat the meatballs were in their packet, all neatly spaced out and of a good consistent size. I liked the indents in the packaging keeping them separate. These meatballs contain 71% Australian beef and are made in Australia from at least 89% Australian ingredients which is good. It is also good they have a 3. 5 health star rating and contain no artificial colours or flavours. Unfortunately, however, they contain sulphites which I always try to avoid. I decided to make a pasta bake with these meatballs so I cooked the meatballs in a little olive oil, onion and garlic before adding a bolognaise sauce and red wine. I then poured it over a packet of spiral pasta also mixing in mozzarella and basil. I cooked it in the oven for about 20 minutes. The meatballs browned up nicely and they tasted ok but we found the texture a little dense. I think this was a good way to use them as I would not have wanted to eat them on their own. It is good that the meat is Australian and is free from artificial colours and flavours and has at least 20% vegetables added for convenience and nutrition. The value is reasonable. However, I still prefer to purchase 100% mince, add my own vegetables and make my own meatballs with no added sulphites.

Looks great - strange texture and funny flavour. I really wanted to like these meatballs. I thought they looked very appetising and was a fan of the packaging, the meatballs come in a tray which keeps them all separate and avoids them sticking together. The meatballs are located with the other "processed" meat products, like hamburgers and sausages, and are $7 for 400 grams, compared to $7 for 500 grams when you buy the "Woolworths &Veg Beef Meatballs With Carrot Celery Tomato & Onion" mince, which I assume is the same product but not turned into meatballs yet. I think this price is pretty decent as it's a fairly healthy convenience product. However, I'm a little surprised it only gets 3. 5 health stars. We used these meatballs to make spaghetti. I kept it pretty ... MoreLooks great - strange texture and funny flavour. I really wanted to like these meatballs. I thought they looked very appetising and was a fan of the packaging, the meatballs come in a tray which keeps them all separate and avoids them sticking together. The meatballs are located with the other "processed" meat products, like hamburgers and sausages, and are $7 for 400 grams, compared to $7 for 500 grams when you buy the "Woolworths &Veg Beef Meatballs With Carrot Celery Tomato & Onion" mince, which I assume is the same product but not turned into meatballs yet. I think this price is pretty decent as it's a fairly healthy convenience product. However, I'm a little surprised it only gets 3. 5 health stars. We used these meatballs to make spaghetti. I kept it pretty simple, just browned some onion and then added the meatballs and later the sauce and capsicum. The meatballs looked and smelled delicious. However.. both my husband and I were super disappointed by the very dense texture (it was like it was sausage meat) and there was a funny flavour to the meatballs (I thought it tasted like fennel - but can't see it listed in the ingredients). Neither of us are picky eaters but we really didn't enjoy these meatballs at all! So, unfortunately a thumb down from us. I would not recommend this or buy it again. I like the idea of the extra added vegetables and the convenience of pre-made meatballs, but the texture and flavour really let this product down.

Versatile and Convenient. Thank you, Bunch, for my convenient sample. I do love a sample that leads to a quick and easy dinner!When I picked up my sample, there was also a significantly reduced pack of meatballs on the shelf... so I came home with two packs! The meatballs arrived home intact and undamaged thanks to the specially shaped hollows in the recyclable plastic tray. With 20 meatballs in the pack, this was a great portion size for my family of 4. As spaghetti and meatballs is a favourite for my munchkins, this is how I chose to use my first pack of meatballs. After browning them thoroughly in a pan, I added some tomato passata and allowed them to simmer for 20 minutes or so. Served with some spaghetti and Parmesan cheese, dinner was on the table in a flash. ... MoreVersatile and Convenient. Thank you, Bunch, for my convenient sample. I do love a sample that leads to a quick and easy dinner!When I picked up my sample, there was also a significantly reduced pack of meatballs on the shelf... so I came home with two packs! The meatballs arrived home intact and undamaged thanks to the specially shaped hollows in the recyclable plastic tray. With 20 meatballs in the pack, this was a great portion size for my family of 4. As spaghetti and meatballs is a favourite for my munchkins, this is how I chose to use my first pack of meatballs. After browning them thoroughly in a pan, I added some tomato passata and allowed them to simmer for 20 minutes or so. Served with some spaghetti and Parmesan cheese, dinner was on the table in a flash. Everyone was relatively happy with the dish but the munchkins did comment on the firmness of the meatballs. Hubby also felt that the meatballs lacked flavour when compared with my homemade ones. To use my second pack, I decided to make a lasagne recipe that appeared in the July Woolworths Fresh magazine (page 61). The meatballs were much softer and somewhat tastier in this dish. At $7. 00 per pack, it is quite an expensive way to buy meatballs but a very convenient one. Made in Australia from 89% Australian ingredients. No artificial colours or flavours. Recyclable packaging. Given my family's luke-warm response to this product, I will probably not purchase it again but would re-make the lasagne recipe

Good concept, badly executed. Easy to find in the store with the other "& Veg" range - separate to the other meatball products. I was happy to see the clear packaging so that you can see the freshness of the product - although the $7 sticker seemed rather large and too away from the visibility. It also had the veg making up the "&" symbol which was cute. It had an egg carton style bottom so each meatball had it's own space and the bottom was recyclable, whilst the top plastic film was redyclable Not one corner of the top plastic was larger depicting what edge to open from. I tried two corners and it wouldn't pull open (I could have yanked it harder, but in my head I saw the meatballs go flying around the kitchen, so opted not to do this) so I used a knife. It still ... MoreGood concept, badly executed. Easy to find in the store with the other "& Veg" range - separate to the other meatball products. I was happy to see the clear packaging so that you can see the freshness of the product - although the $7 sticker seemed rather large and too away from the visibility. It also had the veg making up the "&" symbol which was cute. It had an egg carton style bottom so each meatball had it's own space and the bottom was recyclable, whilst the top plastic film was redyclable Not one corner of the top plastic was larger depicting what edge to open from. I tried two corners and it wouldn't pull open (I could have yanked it harder, but in my head I saw the meatballs go flying around the kitchen, so opted not to do this) so I used a knife. It still tore into 3 pieces - hmmm Upon opening the packet, the smell from the meatballs was on the pleasant side. The bottom of the pack gave easy, clear cooking instructions and they easily popped out of the packing into the pan. Some of them were more octagonal than round, so I turned them over a number of times, but they seemed to cook well. The aroma coming from the pan at this point was nice. No artificial colours or flavours. Made in Australia from at least 89% AU ingredients and a 3. 5 health star rating. That's OK, but can be improved upon as it still has preservative 223 whereas the normal Woolies mince does not. It has 71% beef and 20% vegetable which is made up of 6% carrots, 6% celery, 6% tomato and 4% caramelised red onion. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but 6+6+6+4 does not equal 20. It also contains a firming agent - why? Now I ask this, as when I cut one open to eat, you could tell by the appearance (sorry, forgot to take a pic), that it was dense and when I bit into it, it really was. Was this caused by the aforementioned firming agent? So, the texture for me was a no no. Flavourwise, I found it to be a little bland. It really was like a cheap dense sausage made into a meatball. I could see the carrot specs, but wasn't getting much of an extra flavour in the first few that I ate. I had leftovers so, warmed them up in the microwave the next day and the second day I tasted more of a herby flavour (just not sure what herb bounced out at me - but it wasn't bad) - so I think there may have been some inconsistency in the mixing of the batch?I think these would have gone better with a sauce. Overall, I still like the concept for those parents that need to hide veg from their fussy little eaters, but I'm sticking with homemade.

Nutritious small beef-veggie balls of versatility. I had trouble finding this sample for two weeks as there weren’t much of the pre-made meats on the shelf;Finally, I was able to locate one of two packets on the shelf tucked in the corner of the refrigerator. It was really hard to spot as the label was behind the wire shelf. There was a 10-day use-by date which was good as I wasn’t quite ready for a few days to eat these, but I needed to grab them due to their scarcity. There are 20 mini meatballs individually placed in the plastic carton. It’s a good way of separating them so that they don’t get all mushed together. 3. 5 star health rating with 71% Aussie beef and a total of 89% Aussie ingredients. That's pretty good. The price is currently $6. 00 for 400gm. So ... MoreNutritious small beef-veggie balls of versatility. I had trouble finding this sample for two weeks as there weren’t much of the pre-made meats on the shelf;Finally, I was able to locate one of two packets on the shelf tucked in the corner of the refrigerator. It was really hard to spot as the label was behind the wire shelf. There was a 10-day use-by date which was good as I wasn’t quite ready for a few days to eat these, but I needed to grab them due to their scarcity. There are 20 mini meatballs individually placed in the plastic carton. It’s a good way of separating them so that they don’t get all mushed together. 3. 5 star health rating with 71% Aussie beef and a total of 89% Aussie ingredients. That's pretty good. The price is currently $6. 00 for 400gm. So would be appx $15 kg. That is quite expensive. On opening the packet there was a strong onion smell, which was quite overpowering. It permeated all through the kitchen. I fried the meatballs in the pan according to cooking instructions with a tiny bit of olive oil, but they were hard to turn as they were odd little shapes, not round. They kept rolling on to the side I had already cooked and trying to get them on the sides that weren’t cooked was a challenge. The frequent turning was becoming annoying, especially when I was cooking a different meal aswell. I felt like I was playing mini billiards. I did have to cook another couple of minutes because of the unevenness of the meatballs. The meat texture resembled that of sausage and the taste was very spicy, like fenugreek? It was quite herby. The carrot was visible, as was a small amount of celery. But not enough to put small children off that have an aversion to vegetables, I don't think?The tray is recyclable and the film is returnable to store with other soft plastics for RedCycle. Which is what I do weekly. I had my Veg & Beef Meatballs with Carrot, Celery Tomato & Caramelised Red Onion on a hamburger bun with egg and tomato sauce for a quick easy dinner after a very busy day. The rest were polished off the next day for lunch. Thankyou Woolworths and Bunch for the opportunity to try this product, however, I wouldn’t buy these again, unless it was for a quick buy for finger food for a small party, as I do prefer to make my own with a more top quality mince and add my own flavours and spices.

Convenient, quick and easy. Hubby bought these as he wanted meatballs and spaghetti but needed to use up some veggies so ended up being meatballs in tomato and onion gravy with mash. I was quite happy with them. They held together well and was surprised at how little fat was in them. I did find the texture a little rubbery. Packaging was good with all the meatballs in an individual pocket. Tray is recyclable. They are made from at least 89% Australian ingredients so another plus. Pricing is a little expensive but not too bad considering the convenience of not having to prep the veggies etc. Prefer to make my own but would not discount buying them again

Convenient and Tasty. This is a product that I would not normally purchase so was most interested to try, especially after having read some favourable reviews. We found the meatballs to be seasoned well giving them a lovely flavour, although the texture was quite firm in comparison to homemade ones. They are made with at least 20% Veggies - Carrots, Celery, Tomato and Caramelised Red Onion and great to see that 71% Australian Beef is being used. I did dust them in some flour prior to cooking and found that the recommended cooking instructions of 13 minutes to be spot on. In the last 3 minutes of cooking I added some Passata, a tin of baby Roma tomatoes and a handful of Baby leaf Spinach along with a good knob of butter which made a tasty sauce to have with them. I ... MoreConvenient and Tasty. This is a product that I would not normally purchase so was most interested to try, especially after having read some favourable reviews. We found the meatballs to be seasoned well giving them a lovely flavour, although the texture was quite firm in comparison to homemade ones. They are made with at least 20% Veggies - Carrots, Celery, Tomato and Caramelised Red Onion and great to see that 71% Australian Beef is being used. I did dust them in some flour prior to cooking and found that the recommended cooking instructions of 13 minutes to be spot on. In the last 3 minutes of cooking I added some Passata, a tin of baby Roma tomatoes and a handful of Baby leaf Spinach along with a good knob of butter which made a tasty sauce to have with them. I think they would be also delicious served in a creamy Mushroom Sauce and perfect to have with any type of Pasta, made into a Meatloaf or as a great filling for Sausage Rolls. They have a 3. 5 Health Star rating, made with at least 89% Australian Ingredients and have no artificial colours or flavours. The recyclable moulded tray ensures the meatballs stay intact which is great for storage and important when in transit. This convenient product works out to be quite economical, $7 for 20 small meatballs which total 400gms. The recommended servings per pack is 4, although dependent on your appetite this may vary. I don’t think you can beat homemade meatballs but as I did enjoy these I would consider purchasing again especially if I needed a quick and convenient meal. Thank you for the opportunity to try these delicious meatballs

Great variation on the theme. I was quite excited to receive this sample, as it's a great way to bulk up the veggie intake surreptitiously. I was also very keen when I discovered the recipe idea in the July Fresh magazine - lasagna! Talk about the one stop solution - major ingredient + menu idea in one hit (thanks Woolies!). The recipe was pretty easy to knock up and my family all love lasagna - a perfect post-swim training meal. When I asked what they thought of it, all but one were very happy. When prompted for more information (for the purpose of writing a review) they weren't too much more forthcoming (heavy sigh!). Miss GF (who was the one 'not sure') also happened to be the only one who had noticed the writing on the pack as they were defrosting - hmmmm, I'm ... MoreGreat variation on the theme. I was quite excited to receive this sample, as it's a great way to bulk up the veggie intake surreptitiously. I was also very keen when I discovered the recipe idea in the July Fresh magazine - lasagna! Talk about the one stop solution - major ingredient + menu idea in one hit (thanks Woolies!). The recipe was pretty easy to knock up and my family all love lasagna - a perfect post-swim training meal. When I asked what they thought of it, all but one were very happy. When prompted for more information (for the purpose of writing a review) they weren't too much more forthcoming (heavy sigh!). Miss GF (who was the one 'not sure') also happened to be the only one who had noticed the writing on the pack as they were defrosting - hmmmm, I'm SURE that didn't have anything to do with her opinion! When she pointed out to everyone else that they 'didn't taste like meatballs because they have veggies in them', the others started saying 'oh yeah, they do taste different'. I asked HOW they were different - texture, taste etc and the best I could get was 'they taste like herbs'. Eventually, everyone but Miss GF admitted that they were pretty tasty and you can't really taste the vegetables - parenting win right there for anyone with fussy toddlers (or not-so-toddlers as in my case). The meatballs browned really easily in the pan and so would make a really great, easy meal for a busy weeknight if added to pasta or served with a side of veg. The packaging did a great job of retaining the shape integrity of the individual meatballs and is also fully recyclable - so I was pretty impressed with that. It was also really easy to open - as many of these type of packages aren't. Well done Woolies. I was pretty impressed with the Aussie made factor of this product too. I have already thrown out the packaging, so I can't remember the exact percentage but it was pretty high. Another plus!My only issue is with the price. They are quite a bit more expensive than 'regular' meatballs (as you'd accept I guess with the added ingredients). However, if you want the benefit of the increased veggie intake these are a great alternative. Overall, it's a great idea and one I'm sure will be popular with so many frustrated parents out there. Well done Woolies!

Way Too Salty. Woolworths &Veg Beef Meatballs With Carrot Celery Tomato & Onion 400g Price: $7. 00Location: Refrigerated Meat Aisle. I found these hard to spot and had to ask a staff member. The packaging/label just didn't stand out amongst all the other meat packs Packaging: Clear recyclable plastic tray with clear film (REDcyclable) Life: Purchased 13th July 2020. Best Before was 24th July 2020! As far as mince goes, that is a very long time! Especially seeing it is not a USEBY date, but simply a BEST BEFORE. That seems wrong to me. Surely you have to eat chilled raw meat by a certain date, even if it does contain preservative? I'd rather see a USEBY dateHealth Star Rating: 3. 5 out of 5. I'm a bit baffled how these meatballs scored that high, considering the high ... MoreWay Too Salty. Woolworths &Veg Beef Meatballs With Carrot Celery Tomato & Onion 400g Price: $7. 00Location: Refrigerated Meat Aisle. I found these hard to spot and had to ask a staff member. The packaging/label just didn't stand out amongst all the other meat packs Packaging: Clear recyclable plastic tray with clear film (REDcyclable) Life: Purchased 13th July 2020. Best Before was 24th July 2020! As far as mince goes, that is a very long time! Especially seeing it is not a USEBY date, but simply a BEST BEFORE. That seems wrong to me. Surely you have to eat chilled raw meat by a certain date, even if it does contain preservative? I'd rather see a USEBY dateHealth Star Rating: 3. 5 out of 5. I'm a bit baffled how these meatballs scored that high, considering the high sodium content. Made: In Australia from at least 89% Australian ingredientsIngredients: Refer photo. A very long list but no mention of which spices have been added! Stating 'spices' does not satisfy me. More information would have been very helpful to quell my teenager who was adamant the meatballs tasted ONLY of aniseed! That was all she could taste apparently. Whilst I wouldn't have said my portion was overly 'aniseedy', there certainly was a trace of such a spice/herb (anise?) .... AND SALT!!! Oh boy! So salty that I had to guzzle a few glasses of water afterwards. I had read the ingredients before cooking and purposely not added any salt in the meal I prepared, because it was mentioned 'several times in the ingredient list. Thank goodness because it was still too saltyGeneral: - These meatballs were very handy to have in the fridge. - The pack recommended frying them for 13mins on med-high. - I put some white rice on to boil and when it needed about 15 mins more, I rolled the meatballs in some plain flour. The light dusting of flour helped me roll the meatballs into rounder shapes. Then I threw them into a tiny bit of oil in my wok. After about 7 mins, I added some red capsicum to the wok. In a separate pan I fried some kale that I flavoured with some garlic, black pepper, unsalted chicken stock and a tiny splash of red wine vinegar. I gave the meatballs a shake regularly and they cooked very evenly, staying together well. Once cooked, I mixed the kale in with them and served my meatball dish with the rice. Overall: An expensive way to make a few meatballs and they weren't as healthy as I would have liked them to be (preservative and salt). Just because something has veggies added, does not mean it is good for you. Whilst we enjoyed our meal, the whole family said it was too salty and they couldn't taste the veggies inside the meatballs. The 'teen' said the 'aniseed' flavour was too strong. Wouldn't buy these meatballs again, but they were nice for a change to our usual menu.

Aussie beef, Aussie veg AND Garlic. Thanks Woolworths for the veg and beef meatballs sample. We are a beef and additive free household, my sister lent her family’s taste buds for this sample and feedback. The Product Details:✅ Easily located in the prepped meat fridge at our big Woolworths.. ✅♻️ Recyclable container, plastic film (washed) and recycled in store. ✅71% Australian beef✅22% vegetables (6%carrot, 6%celery, 6%tomato, 4%caramelised red ) pack states 20% vegetables My sister decided to include these in her ‘pot luck’ dinner last night. She said the individual compartments for each meatball made it easy to remove from the tray and they held together well both raw and when cooked. She cooked them in the oven and served them with gravy, as per her husbands ... MoreAussie beef, Aussie veg AND Garlic. Thanks Woolworths for the veg and beef meatballs sample. We are a beef and additive free household, my sister lent her family’s taste buds for this sample and feedback. The Product Details:✅ Easily located in the prepped meat fridge at our big Woolworths.. ✅♻️ Recyclable container, plastic film (washed) and recycled in store. ✅71% Australian beef✅22% vegetables (6%carrot, 6%celery, 6%tomato, 4%caramelised red ) pack states 20% vegetables My sister decided to include these in her ‘pot luck’ dinner last night. She said the individual compartments for each meatball made it easy to remove from the tray and they held together well both raw and when cooked. She cooked them in the oven and served them with gravy, as per her husbands request alongside his left over pasta, salad and hot chips .. Feedback:Small size and convenient, dense with meat, little evidence of vegetables to see ( a few little orange pieces perhaps carrot) and not evident to taste. Dominant taste was garlic that overpowered all other ingredients. All samplers said if the garlic and saltiness were reduced they would be great to have again and work well with a Bolognese sauce. ☺️ Price point of $7 was expensive for the quantity but acceptable for the convenience.. As always we appreciate this sample Woolworths, you have a well presented, worthwhile product. On this occasion It is held back by an imbalance of additives and unnecessary ingredients. Aussie beef with vegetables should be the ⭐️ of the product.. Thank you.. My sister is a great cook but is on L plates for her photography..