Meatballs With Veggies Inside Solve Toddler Dinner Dilemmas

Prep

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Oil the base of a rimmed baking pan.
2. Grate the zucchini into a colander or other holding device that can drain foods. Sprinkle salt over the top and allow to leech water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture.
3. In a large bowl, add the zucchini shreds, a fistful of panko breadcrumbs, a large portion of your shredded cheese, and a lot of chives and/or other green herbs; blend together. Add ground meat and toss until mixed.
4. With wet hands, grab a small clump of the mixture with your dominant hand and use the other hand to press and shape the clump into ball form; place on baking pan, repeating with remaining meat.

Cook

1. Bake 12 minutes for small meatballs or 13-14 minutes if your meatballs are larger. Optional: for even browning on both sides, turn over midway through.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool 3-5 minutes before serving.

Serve

1. These taste great with just squeeze a bit of lemon juice and Parmesan on top, but they are not the most visually appealing dish, so you may need to side with a favorite sauce or condiment (pro tip: spinach and artichoke dip is surprisingly great with it) to entice.

Adapt

1. If you’re going to change out the vegetable, think about its water content compared to zucchini: spinach is a logical substitute, as its equally watery; broccoli is drier and may require some additional cheese to compensate. (Pro tip: separate out the meat mixture you intend to consume yourself, then add your preferred salt and spice to enable these ‘balls to punch above weight.)