I love the idea of making batches of turkey meatballs and mini meatloaves. I make large batches so I’ll have leftovers for quick snacks and meals. I also freeze extra in a zip lock bag. For picky kids or families, the recipe is versatile so you can make half the batch plain and half with lots of healthy ingredients.
Meatball Base Recipe:
- 1 – 1.5 pounds of ground turkey or lean meat
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (checkout your organic and gluten free options or blend up old fashioned oats)
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 small-medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 T olive oil or coconut oil
- In a food processor or blender, finely chop mushrooms, onions, celery and garlic. Add these ingredients to a hot pan with oil. Cook for approximately 10 minutes stirring occasionally until most of the liquid from the veggies is evaporated. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450. On 2 baking sheets, line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. You have now made the basic recipe for a healthy plain meatball.
- When making small to medium sized meatballs, cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.
My Favorite Variations:
- Veggie style: With half the meatball mixture, add 1 cup finely chopped kale or spinach, 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots, and 1/3 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes. Feel free to play around with your favorite veggies.
- Southwest: With half the meatball mixture, add 3/4 cup black beans, 3/4 cup sweet corn, 1/3 chopped green onions, and 1/2 packet of taco seasoning.
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