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Meatballs With Veggies Inside Solve Toddler Dinner Dilemmas

Three small chicken and zucchini meatballs are presented with tomato sauce.
Meal(s)
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground Chicken (or turkey)
  • 1/2 Zucchini
  • shredded or crumbled Cheese (we typically use cheddar; most any cheese will work)
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Green Herbs of your choosing
Instructions
    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.
    5. Cook
  5. 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.
  6. Remove from heat and allow to cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
    7. Serve

  7. 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.

    8. Adapt

  8. 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.)

Keywords: meat, chicken, sandwiches, dinner, vegetables, easy meals, toddler dinner ideas, easy to make, quick meals
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The recipe author and his then-infant son
Brad

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.