Veggie Loaded Turkey Meatballs or Purée

Author: Karen Biton-Cohen for FoodieKid Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins  Total Time: 30 minutes Yield: 7 meatballs or 6-8 infant purée meals

It’s turkey time! Thanksgiving dinner is one of our favorite meals of the year, but sometimes roasted turkey on its own isn’t the biggest hit with the kiddos. Or you may have an infant who wants in on the fun but doesn’t have the teeth to participate! Here is an alternative option for Thanksgiving or anytime - veggie loaded turkey meatballs for older or developed eaters or purée for the littles. We’ve taken ground turkey and added our delicious Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Kale Veggie Blends for added flavor and nutrition. Fast and easy to make, with the added bonus of incorporated vegetables, this is recipe is a real crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

1-2 4 oz. packets of Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Kale Simple Starters Veggie Blends

½ pound ground turkey

1 large garlic clove, finely-grated

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves

¼ teaspoon salt, (optional)

About 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Instructions

For Meatballs:

Steam Simple Starters Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Kale Veggie Blends according to packet directions. Transfer the steamed veggies to a medium-sized bowl and mash using  a potato masher (end-result does not have to be super smooth, can have some chunks). Allow to cool slightly.   Add the ground turkey, grated garlic, paprika, thyme, oregano, and salt to the bowl with the mashed/steamed veggies. Using a fork, mix well until fully-incorporated. Shape mixture into 7 equal-sized meatballs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe pan). Place the meatballs into the pan. Sear until deeply golden, about 5 minutes, on each side.   Transfer the pan into your preheated oven (on the middle rack) and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the turkey balls are cooked through. You can then toss the cooked veggie-loaded turkey balls with your go-to marinara sauce, or serve them as-is alongside ketchup, hummus or tahini for dipping.  

For Purée:  

Steam Simple Starters Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Kale Veggie Blends according to packet directions. Transfer to blender or food processor. Sautée turkey meat in separate pan with olive oil along with garlic and the spices (preferably no salt). Then combined sautéed ground turkey and steamed veggies and blend until smooth.

To learn more or shop for Simple Starters, click here.