Looking For An Easy Toddler Dinner? Try a Meat Pancake (Kubba).
There are few certainties in life with toddlers; meat encased in crispy carbs may be one of them. And, yeah, sure, you could just as easily roll up some leftover ground hamburger or turkey meat in frozen empanada or puff pastry dough (see our LINK take on how!), but for those times you want to surprise/amaze your child and/or yourself, here’s your answer: a potato pancake stuffed with meat, essentially. Anything goes on this one: we’ve provided instructions for cooking up some meat for the pancake that’s flavored in a shawarma style, but if you’ve already got leftover burger, taco, meatloaf, et al. bits–and if your child prefers a different flavor profile–don’t hesitate to stuff them in there instead!
- 2 large russet/baking potatoes
- Microwave potatoes skin on until soft and tender throughout, roughly 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- When potatoes are cool enough to touch, remove the skin and place the potatoes into a large bowl. Add in the egg and cornstarch, plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper each, and mix and mash until all ingredients are melded together. Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.
Heat a pan at Medium, lightly coating it with oil. Add in the lamb and cook, using a large spoon or spatula to break meat into crumbles, until browned, roughly 4-5 minutes. Generously sprinkle the seasonings all over the meat and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Grab a small chunk of the potato mixture and form into a ball the size of a golf ball; repeat for remaining mixture. Once ready, use your thumb to press into the center of each ball, creating a deep indent; fill with lamb, then push excess potato elsewhere on ball over indent to fill. Flatten the ball between your hands until it is disc shaped.
Heat a small puddle of neutral oil in a nonstick pan on High. When hot, place your discs into the pan, smash disc down, and cook until golden brown on bottom, or roughly 3-4 minutes; flip and cook the other side until amber as well, roughly 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Use a paper towel to blot out any excess oil on the patties, then spritz with lemon, sprinkle with parsley.
Prior to my son turning two, I cut the disc into small triangles; when he was ready for bigger bites and wanted more independence, I changed to cutting the disc in half (or quarters) and letting him eat it like a sandwich. Feel free to squirt a bit of ketchup or other favorite condiment/sauce on the side for dipping.
You could pretty much put anything inside the potato ball–not just other meats but cheese, eggs, vegetables, etc. The key is going to be texture: that inside should be soft and supple; you don’t want to make your child work too hard after the initial crunch of the exterior. So if using vegetables, be sure and chop/mince them done to small pieces, then steam or saute them until soft.
*Ground chicken, turkey, beef all work well here
** In lieu of seasonings you can use your child's favorite sauce (i.e., barbecue sauce). Toss the meat in it once it has finished cooking and you have turned off the heat.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
