The Best Oven Baked Meatballs With Hidden Vegetables

Marina
by Marina
5 servings
35 min

Soccer season has started again and needless to say, the kids, especially my younger two, are always ravenous for a snack.

I’m not a big fan of the after-game snack bags filled with sugar-overload treats, greasy snacks, and the lone mandarin, added, in some way, negates the effect of all the other snacks in the bag!

After morning games, the kids come home, shower, and eat a good lunch.

But when we have games at night, after they’ve eaten dinner, when they come home they’re still ravenous.

A substantial snack is always called for.

Since my younger two aren’t big fans of anything that looks like a vegetable I have to get creative.


I admit, I love being sneaky when it comes to hiding veggies in their favorite foods…including meatballs!

The best oven baked meatballs with hidden vegetables.

My recipe for kid-approved ground beef meatballs with carrots, zucchini and greens is a family favorite.

This would be a great recipe to make for that end of season, sports potluck party or even your 4th of July cook-off.


The secret is to grate your zucchini and carrots fine and cut your greens into the smallest shreds possible.

Oh, and what works for my kids is getting them involved in the process, from start to finish.

What escalates these meatballs is the pairing of French’s Dipping Sauces that are packed with flavor. If you worry about your child tasting any veggies at all, serve the meatballs with these mustard based sauces. They’re so good!

My kids went to town with these sauces!!

Available in the condiment and spice aisle at your local HEB, French’s Dipping Sauces are so much better for you especially as they’re made without any high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and artificial colors.

Besides meatballs, I’m sure these dipping sauces would pair wonderfully with my Easy Chicken BBQ Bites, Baked Chicken Nuggets, Sausage and Cheese Muffins, Mince Buns , Spinach and Kale Tuna Cakes or even my Spinach Cheese Pizza Muffins.


Ready to try the recipe?

And don’t hold back from getting the kids involved once you bring together all the ingredients.

Besides adding the spices, veggies etc. to the meat, all that needs to be done is mix everything together.

Since everything can be mixed in one bowl, it makes definitely everything so much easier.

Once the mixture is ready, your older kids can help shape the meatballs,

while the youngest can lightly grease the cookie sheet.

And that’s it!


So easy!!


The kids unanimously voted the Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Mustard Sauce to be the best followed by the Honey Mustard.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding…


check out that neat pile of toothpicks.

My family of 5 sure did polish those trays clean!

Need dessert after your sumptuous meatballs snack?


Try my Chocolate Walnut Spinach Brownies!


I’d love to hear from you. Hop over to chat with me on Facebook and/or Twitter

The Best Oven Baked Meatballs With Hidden Vegetables
Recipe details
  • 5  servings
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 20 Minutes Total time: 35 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 onion chopped fine (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
  • 1/2 cup carrot grated fine
  • 1/2 cup zucchini grated fine
  • 1/2 cup spinach and kale cut fine
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 4 tsps olive oil
  • salt to season
  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian spice seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 12 oz bottle French's Dipping Sauce (Honey Mustard, Sweet Buffalo Mustard and/or Sweet & Smoky Barbecue Mustard)
Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients (except the oil) together
Brush a large cookie pan with the oil
Form 2 inch sized meatballs and place on the cookie sheet
Placed the sheet in oven and bake for 20 minutes
Serve hot and enjoy with generous pools of French's Dipping Sauces!
Marina
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