Veggie Meatballs

Hunter recently decided that he doesn’t like most vegetables.  What?!  My super granola crunchy-as-can-be-never-eats-processed-food kid doesn’t like veggies?????  Argh.  Sigh.  Is that a necessary passage of toddlerhood or something?  Along with absolutely adoring can’t-get-enough-of-it food one minute and then throwing it on the floor the next, accompanied by accusing you’re trying to poison me Mom glares?  Ugh. 

Anyway, I’ve been figuring out sneaky ways to get veggies in.  This particular recipe was such a major hit and contains so many undetectable veggies I thought I would share!  I tasted it too – it’s yummy even for those of us actually like rabbit food.

For the meatballs:

2 cups chopped veggies (broccoli or cauliflower works best)

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup ground beef/turkey/chicken

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic

Italian seasoning

Oregano

Basil

Sausage spice

1 egg

Cook veggies in broth till they are soft and have absorbed all the broth (20-30 minutes).  Add garlic and seasonings and mash or blend.  Add ground meat and egg and mix well.  Form into mini meatballs (or patties or sausages) and fry in butter, leftover chicken/beef fat, or coconut oil.

For the sauce:

1 cup spaghetti sauce

1-2 cups veggies (Swiss chard, green onions, leeks and spinach all work well as they cook down nicely and are nutrient-packed)

Chop the veggies super duper fine.  The idea is to end up with miniscule specks a toddler eye simply doesn’t stay still long enough to see.  Cook in the tomato sauce till very soft.  Blend with blender if desired or if texture is an issue.  The amount of veggies than can be disguised this way depends on the picky eater you have.  I can do a two-cups veggies to one cup sauce ratio, but it might be less to start with.

Hunter absolutely went nuts over these, and I went nuts over all the vegetables he didn’t know he was cramming into his mouth. Next time I’m making a double batch and freezing more!