I love any time I can add vegetables to a recipe and make it taste even more delicious. These veggie-loaded meatballs are incredibly flavorful, full of texture and addicting! My toddler loves them, and even my husband (who is not a huge vegetable guy) could not stop eating them. I love that is this is a meat recipe, but the veggies make it even more nutritious yet delicious. I prep the vegetables the night before to make it a quicker prep time, and I love to batch freeze them! The yogurt sauce is optional, because a red sauce, marinara or brown gravy would go wonderful with these, too. I hope you love these meatballs as much as my family I do!
Ingredients
You will need Ground Beef – ground chicken or turkey would work as well, but I think the ground beef makes these meatballs so flavorful, Yellow Onion, Broccoli or Cauliflower, Carrots, Kale or Spinach, Parsley, Italian Breadcrumbs, an Egg, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper.
For Littles
This is such a good recipe to make for your little ones because it contains good protein and iron from the meat and many vitamins from the vegetables. They’re also cute and fun to eat! Pairing it with the yogurt sauce gives it another boost of protein, probiotics and creamy flavor. You can serve this your littles 7 months +!
How To
In a bowl combine all the ingredients. Mix gently with your hands until combined.
Roll into 24 balls and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking, make the yogurt sauce by combining all those ingredients together in a bowl.
Serve warm with the yogurt!
Veggie-Loaded Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
Course: Dinner, Family Meal Ideas, For Toddlers, Healthy, Lunch, Main Dishes, Recipes, Spring, Summer, Winter12
servings25
minutes20
minutesIngredients
- Meatballs
1 lb ground beef * see notes
1/2 yellow onion grated
1/3 cup cooked carrots finely chopped
1/3 cup cooked broccoli finely chopped
1/3 cup minced kale
2 tablespoons minced parsley (optional)
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 whole egg beaten
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
- Yogurt Sauce (optional)
1 cup whole fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Directions
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper and baking rack if you have one! If you are using a baking rack (which I recommend) make sure that you spray it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a big bowl, dump all the ingredients for the meatballs in and mix gently with your hands. It’s important to not over mix so that the meatballs stay tender.
- With your hands, make 24 meatballs and place on the baking rack or baking sheet. You can use a cookie scoop if you want to make the meatballs more uniform.
- Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are brown, and using a meat thermometer make sure the meatballs have reached an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the yogurt sauce by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing until combined.
- Serve the meatballs warm with the yogurt sauce, red sauce, marinara sauce or brown gravy. You can keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!:)
Notes
- * for meatballs I love to buy 80/20: 80% lean and 20% fat. This gives these meatballs incredible flavor and makes them super tender. I also love to buy grass fed beef as you get more vitamins, a richer flavor and it is a more sustainable choice of meat.
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