Pesto Turkey Veggie Meatballs

I always feel like I’m running out of ideas for getting Chase to eat more meat. Then I found this recipe by Super Healthy Kids and wanted to give it a try. It was toddler and husband approved 🙂

What you will need:

• 1 pound – chicken or turkey breast
• ¹/₂ medium – bell pepper, red (I used green since it’s what I had)
• 1 medium – carrot
• 1 cup – zucchini
• 3 tablespoon – pesto (pre-made or home made)
• ¹/₂ teaspoon – salt
• 1 tablespoon – olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of minced garlic

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Start by preparing the vegetable mixture:
3. Gently pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel or clean dish towel (no need to squeeze all the liquid out of it, just pat off some of the extra moisture). Add to a large bowl with the finely minced carrot and bell pepper. Add in the pesto and salt and stir to combine.
   • (I you used homemade pesto by combining 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, 1/8 cup of pine nuts, and about a table spoon of olive oil and tablespoon of parmesan cheese and blending in food processor until sauce consistency)
4. Fold in the ground chicken/turkey breast using your hands or a large fork, and toss together the chicken/turkey and vegetable mixture until it’s well-combined. Add pepper and garlic to your liking. Try not to over-work the mixture.
5. Line a baking sheet with foil or a slipat and drizzle with oil.
6. Using a 1″ scoop or a Tablespoon, make small (1-1 1/2″) meatballs and place them on the baking sheet. (you can also just use your hands to roll them out)
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. For a bit of browning, broil the meatballs an additional 1-3 minutes. If browning isn’t important, continue baking meatballs another 2-3 minutes, or till cooked through.
8. Serve with your favorite sauce, pasta, rice or on a sandwich. Enjoy!