Kid-Friendly Meatballs with Secret Veggies
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound organic ground turkey
- 1/2 pound organic ground beef
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup whole milk, half and half works as well; room temperature
- 1 egg; room temperature
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or fresh basil, freshly chopped
- 1 large carrot, or about 4-5 baby carrots
- 1 small shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced; optional (I usually leave the garlic out for the kids but I know some kids love it)
- 1/2 cup chopped kale
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the shallots in the food processor and process until finely chopped
- Repeat with the carrots and the kale; do them all separately
- In a medium-size skillet over medium heat, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil
- Pour in the vegetables and sprinkle with salt
- Cook until softened stirring often (add in the garlic at this point if using)
- Once cooked, set aside and allow the veggies to cool
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- In a large bowl conbine the two portions of meat with the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, cheese and fresh herbs
- Use two forks to combine them, this will help to keep the mixture light
- Add in the cooled veggie mixture and stir again with the two forks to combine
- Careful not to overmix, that will create a tough meatball
- You can also use your hands to mix this
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring cup to scoop the meat onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper (aluminim foil can also be used if you like) then roll them with your hands to create a nice “meatball” shape
- This will make roughly 40-45 meatballs depending on how big you make them
- Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the centers are cooked completely
- Allow to cool and serve!
- These can be served plain with a side of ketchup or you can add them to a pan with tomato sauce and cook them for a bit in the sauce and serve with pasta!
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients…even the meat. This allows for everything to mix well without being clumpy.
I like to use a food processor to make the veggies and shallot really small so that the kids don’t have a big chunk of anything. If you do not have one, you can chop them up really small instead.
When scooping the meatballs, make sure they are all the same size so they cook evenly. You don’t want any of the meatballs to be undercooked!
I recommend using half turkey and half ground beef but you can use any meat you like.
If you want to freeze these, allow them to cool completely and place them in a freezer-friendly container like a sealed ziplock bag (make sure to label it with the date). First, place them in the fridge to cool completely and then put them in the freezer when they are completely cooled.