Meatballs With Veggies Inside Solve Toddler Dinner Dilemmas
- 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
- Preheat your oven to 400. Oil the base of a rimmed baking pan.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
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.
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.)
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.
