Meatballs are such a great food for littles. They’re small enough for little hands to hold and it’s easy to freeze and re-warm just what you need for a given meal. And since my daughter loves meat, another monster plus to meatballs is that they’re very accommodating to hidden mommy-approved goodies, like grains and veggies. 

These meatballs in particular have been a work in progress. They started simply with just meat cheese, egg and flour. As I became more bold, I started incorporating more and more goodness. I am really happy with the recipe where it is now and hope you (and your little) will enjoy it, too!

Active Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

 Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken breakfast sausage, removed from its casing (I love the Trader Joe’s variety)
• 3 oz spinach, finely chopped
• 2 oz cheddar, finely shredded (parmesan also works nicely here)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands until just combined. Form the meatballs by scooping 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into your hands and rolling them into balls. Dip your hands in a bowl of cool water to avoid the meat sticking to your fingers.

Arrange the meatballs at least 1 inch apart on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until the meat begins to carmelize on the top of the meatballs and they are the same firmness as a ripe tomato.

They will have lost some of the fat that will be left on your baking sheet. I typically leave that behind. Allow the meatballs to cool for 10 minutes before serving them to your little or freezing.

If freezing, use a gallon size plastic baggie and lay them flat in one layer with space between each meatball.