Baby Food Mini Turkey Meatballs 8 Months

MINI TURKEY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, Pecorino, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.
• Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the meatball mixture to a serving bowl. Serve with toothpicks.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

BABY FOOD: MINI TURKEY MEATBALLS (8 MONTHS +)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, rice cereal and herbs, tossing with fingers until well combined. Set aside.
• Place lean ground turkey into a mixing bowl. Add carrots, celery, onion and breadcrumb mixture. Mix into the meat and combine well. Add beaten egg yolk and enough water/veggie puree to moisten the mixture just to bind it (may not need all of it so add in batches).
• Form 1tabp of meat mixture into meatballs.
• 5. Add a bit of water or marinara sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish, about 1/3 cup. Line baking dish with single layer of meatballs, about 1 inch apart. Be sure not to over crowd dish or they will fall apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes, flipping them once during the cooking process to insure they've cooked thoroughly. If you notice the are getting to dark, cover with tinfoil. You don't want them to burn or become tough.
• To freeze, let them cool completely. Transfer in single layer (you can stack meatballs, just place parchment paper in between each layer to prevent them from freezing together) in a airtight container. When ready to eat, place in a microwavable dish, add a bit of water, and loosely cover and cook for 1 minute.
• Serve with marinara sauce.

HEALTHY MINI TURKEY MEATBALLS (EGGLESS, BREADLESS, FLOURLESS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Coat baking pan with a thin layer of olive oil.
• Add ingredients (excluding tomato sauce) into a bowl and then blend well together with hands.
• Roll meat into balls (a little larger than golf balls) and line up in pan (don't crowd).
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Place under broiler for 1 minute (omit if you like).
• Add tomato sauce and cover with foil.
• Reduce heat to 300 degrees and allow to bake another 25 minutes.
• Put on pasta, in a roll or just eat them like this. Super yummy, enjoy!