Finely dice your onion and add to a pan with a little oil, cook for a little and then add your meatballs. Stirring to make sure the meatballs cook on all sides.

Whilst this is cooking put your rice on. I cooked mine in a rice cooker so it was just a case of setting it up and letting it cook in the background. if you don't have a rice cooker just prepare rice as per the instructions on the packaging. Alternatively, if you don't fancy rice cook some spaghetti or other pasta.

Once all the meatballs have browned slightly, add your tinned tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow the tomatoes to cook down till most of the water has evaporated to form a thick sauce. Stirring occasionally to stop the pan from burning.

After about 30 minutes you should have a thick creamy tomato sauce. Add sugar to taste to counterbalance the tartness of the tomatoes which will be very acidic. I added roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons, but it is really to your taste. Add your dried thyme.

Service up the meatballs in sauce on top of your cooked rice and top with grated cheese. It is simple and uses very few ingredients and is perfect for feeding little children. I like to add chilli sauce as a condiment on top of my serving this way my 5-year-old can enjoy it without having to worry about it being too spicy for her.