Mom a la Mode’s Mini Turkey Meatballs

My 2 year old son has become quite the picky eater lately, but thankfully, still rather enjoys meatballs. 

I often thought about ways to form the components of a complete meal into a little ball of goodness, ensuring that he would get in all of his veggies, protein and starch in one (or two) playful orbs.  The closest I’ve come (so far!) is my recipe for mini turkey meatballs marinara. 

The sweet surprise, literally, is shredded carrot inside the meatballs themselves, as well as the secret weapon veggie infused into the thick sauce.  Serve over whole grain or veggie-fortified mini wagon wheel pasta, and you pretty much have yourself a complete and balanced meal (with a cup of calcium-rich milk of course!) 

Give the below recipe a try, and let me know what your little one thinks.  Something tells me your whole family might enjoy this dish, too…I know mine does!

Mom a la Mode’s Mini Turkey Meatballs Marinara©
(enough to serve a family of 4)

Meatball Ingredients:

approx 1.5 lbs. ground turkey
approx ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 TBSPS parsley (fresh is better but dried is ok, too)
1 egg
approx ½ cup breadcrumbs (I prefer plain)
grated carrot (I use the side of a box grater that produces a fine, rough grate)
cooking spray
olive oil

Steps:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash your hands and combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well with your hands.  You are going for a consistency that is slightly tacky/sticky.  Too wet?  Shake in a few more breadcrumbs.  Too dry?  Add half an egg (or a tiny bit of sour cream if you have it in your fridge.)

Spray a baking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray. Form ping pong-sized balls and place about an inch apart from one another on the baking sheet. 

Drizzle with olive oil and bake in oven for about 10 minutes.  Using tongs, carefully turn the meatballs and cook on other side for another 10 minutes. They should be crispy and slightly shrunk in size once cooked completely. 

{Tips: Grate enough carrot for both your meatballs and your marinara sauce ahead of time. Also, you can freeze the un-sauced, cooked meatballs for future use by letting them cool completely, and either store them in an airtight glass container or a slider bag in your freezer.  I often pop one or two out for Roc’s dinner alongside whatever starch I’m serving that night.  Your child may also like to dip them in barbecue sauce or ketchup, when served alongside baked fries.}

Mom a la Mode’s Marinara Sauce©

Sauce Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
approx ½ cup grated carrot
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 large can crushed tomatoes with basil (I like Tuttorosso brand)
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt and pepper

Steps:

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and sauté onions for about 2-3 minutes until they become opaque.  Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about another 2-3 minutes.   Add the grated carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.  Pour in the can of tomatoes, and fill the can with a little bit of water to get remaining sauce out of can. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and stir together.  Let sauce come to a low boil and turn heat down to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 15 minutes before adding meatballs. Once meatballs have been added to sauce, let simmer (covered, but with a wooden spoon keeping the pot slightly opened) for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Best served over pasta, with lots of freshly grated Italian cheese.  Or try the meatballs in the form of a hero, on toasted wholegrain club roll/Italian bread. 

Enjoy!

-mom a la mode
oxox

{This is an original recipe of Mom a la Mode’s. Please feel free to share with others, but kindly include credit to Mom a la Mode (http://momalamode.net) if printing, posting via social media, sharing electronically, etc.}