veggie-loaded baked chicken meatballs

these meatballs are loaded with 3 different kinds of veggies and are baked, not fried. they’re quick to pull together and they freeze well!

I’ve mentioned this before, but Owen loves those KidFresh chicken meatballs where they sneak veggies into them and I’ve been determined to make my own at home.

I love a good meatball recipe (like these turkey meatloaf meatballs, these baked lentil meatballs and these zucchini parmesan chicken meatballs) so I knew it would be easy enough to do.

And you know what? I was totally right.

It was so simple and totally something I should’ve been doing all along!

I managed to get 3 different kinds of veggies into these babies – zucchini, cauliflower and carrots. If you have a picky eater on your hands, these are a great vehicle for getting those veggies in that they’re particularly bad about eating.

Owen has absolutely devoured these every single time I’ve put them in front of him which is great because he’s getting fiber, whole grains & protein in every bite.

You can serve these straight up or add a little marinara sauce to them. I like to give them to Owen with a little whole wheat pasta and a steamed veggie or fruit.

And fun little fact, I love them too so you can absolutely make them for the whole family!

These are my current favorite products for feeding Owen:

veggie-loaded baked chicken meatballs

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 30 meatballs (depending on size you roll them) 1x
• Category: dinner
• Method: baked

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Description

these meatballs are loaded with 3 different kinds of veggies and are baked, not fried. they’re quick to pull together and they freeze well!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 large zucchini, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground chicken

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place zucchini, carrot and cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until all the veggies are well-minced.  Remove and set aside.
• To the same food processor, add breadcrumbs, parmesan and spices, pulsing until well combined.
• Place ground chicken into a large mixing bowl and add pulsed veggies, breadcrumb mixture, beaten egg and olive oil.  Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (I just use my hands) to combine well.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop meatballs and roll into a ball then place on the baking sheet (they may be sticky, so if you don’t care if they have a flat bottom, skip the rolling step and simply scoop directly onto the prepared baking sheet).  Repeat until all of the mixture has been used.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

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Notes

• Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for 3-4 months.  Pull out as needed and defrost in the microwave to serve.

Keywords: meatballs, chicken, dinner, kid-friendly, quick, easy, veggie-loaded

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recipe adapted from pinch of yum’s baked chicken meatballs