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Colorful Monster Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - photo 1
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Colorful Monster Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Kids' Lunches Main dishes Pasta and Risotto 45 min Easy 5 wyświetleń ~30.32 PLN - (0)
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Description

Here’s a dish that will turn any dinner into a joyful adventure! Colorful Monster Turkey Meatballs are not only a delicious and healthy meal but also a fantastic way to encourage little picky eaters to enjoy vegetables. The secret lies in the finely grated carrot and zucchini that we’ve hidden in the tender turkey meat. This makes the meatballs incredibly juicy, full of vitamins, and gives them a beautiful, slightly orange color. The whole dish is bathed in a velvety homemade tomato sauce, gently seasoned with herbs that kids love. Served with whole grain pasta, which can resemble a monster's crazy hairstyle, the dish becomes an interactive fun experience. It’s the perfect option for a family dinner that combines nutritional value with creativity on the plate. Easy to prepare, and the 'wow' effect is guaranteed!

Składniki (13)

Servings:
4
  • Ground turkey 500 g
  • Carrot 1.3 szt.
  • Zucchini 0.6 szt.
  • Onion 0.5 szt.
  • Egg 1 szt.
  • Breadcrumbs 45 g
  • Tomato passata 700 g
  • Whole grain pasta (e.g. spaghetti) 300 g
  • Olive oil 15 ml
  • Dried oregano 2 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Ground black pepper 1 szczypta
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Black olives 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~30.32 PLN (7.58 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation of the mixture for meatballs

1

Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel the carrot and onion. Wash the zucchini, cutting off its ends. Grate the carrot, zucchini, and onion on the finest grater. The goal is for the vegetables to be almost invisible and to blend well with the meat. If the zucchini has released a lot of water, gently squeeze it in your hands.

Ingredients: Carrot, Zucchini, Onion
Use a fine grater and be careful with your fingers. Grating vegetables finely is the key to 'sneaking' them into your child's diet. The finer they are, the less likely they are to be detected by the little gourmet.
2

In a large bowl, place the ground turkey. Add the grated vegetables. Then crack in one egg, sprinkle in the breadcrumbs, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. All the ingredients are now in the bowl and ready to be mixed.

Ingredients: Ground turkey, Egg, Breadcrumbs, Salt, Ground black pepper
Make sure the bowl is large enough to mix all the ingredients freely without spilling. Using fresh, high-quality ingredients will ensure the best flavor.
3

Now the most important part – kneading the mixture. With clean hands, gently but thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the bowl until a uniform mixture forms. Do not knead for too long, just about 1-2 minutes, only until the ingredients are combined. Kneading for too long may cause the meatballs to be tough.

The best tools are your hands. The movements should be gentle, as if you were 'massaging' the meat. The mixture is ready when no separate ingredients are visible, and the whole has a uniform color.
4

Moisten your hands with a little cold water – this will prevent the meat from sticking to them. Take portions of the mixture (about one heaping tablespoon) and shape them in your hands into neat, round balls the size of a walnut. Try to make all the meatballs similar in size to ensure even cooking. Place them on a cutting board or a large plate.

You can involve your child in helping to shape the balls – it's a great sensory activity! Prepare a small bowl of water for dipping hands.

Cooking meatballs in sauce

5

In a wide pot or deep skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Pour in the entire tomato passata, add dried oregano and a pinch of salt. Stir and heat over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until the sauce starts to gently bubble (small bubbles will appear).

Ingredients: Olive oil, Tomato passata, Dried oregano, Salt
Use a large diameter pot so that all the meatballs fit in a single layer. This is important for their even cooking. Do not bring the sauce to a vigorous boil, a gentle 'simmer' is enough.
6

When the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the heat to the minimum. Very gently, using a spoon or your hands, place the raw meatballs one by one into the hot sauce. Arrange them so that they lie next to each other, forming a single layer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes.

Critical moment: do not stir the meatballs for the first 10 minutes of cooking! They are very delicate and could fall apart. If you want to move them, gently shake the whole pot.
7

Meanwhile, while the meatballs are cooking, bring water to a boil for the pasta. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil (about 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water). When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until 'al dente', meaning slightly firm. Then drain it in a colander.

Ingredients: Whole grain pasta (e.g. spaghetti), Salt
Remember to use a large pot with plenty of water so the pasta can swim freely and doesn't stick together. 'Al dente' means that when you bite into the pasta, it has a slight resistance – it should not be overcooked.
8

After 20-25 minutes, check if the meatballs are ready. Take one out and cut it in half – the inside should be uniform, without any traces of raw meat. The sauce should have thickened slightly by this time. Taste the sauce and season with a little more salt if needed.

If the sauce is too thick, you can add a few tablespoons of hot water from cooking the pasta. It contains starch, which will help maintain the velvety consistency of the sauce.

Serving

9

Time to have some fun! On a plate, arrange a portion of pasta, shaping it into 'hair' or a 'nest'. Place 3-4 meatballs on the pasta or next to it. Use black olives to make the monster's 'eyes'. You can slice the olives and place them on the meatballs. The dish is ready to be served to the little flavor explorer!

Ingredients: Whole grain pasta (e.g. spaghetti), Black olives
If you are using olives, you can cut small circles from them using a drinking straw to create perfect pupils. You can also use cooked corn kernels or peas for decoration.

Fun Fact

💡

Meatballs, known worldwide in various forms (from Italian 'polpette' to Swedish 'köttbullar'), are a dish that originated out of necessity for frugality. Grinding meat allowed for the use of less noble cuts, and the addition of bread or vegetables increased the volume of the dish.

Best for

Codzienny obiad dla rodziny Przyjęcie urodzinowe dla dzieci Kreatywny sposób na niejadka Zdrowy posiłek do lunchboxa

Tips

🍽️ Serving

To make the dish even more colorful and healthy, serve it with 'trees' of steamed broccoli or a 'sun' made of slices of yellow bell pepper. You can also sprinkle the whole dish with a bit of grated Parmesan for extra flavor.

🥡 Storage

Remaining meatballs in sauce can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They are great for freezing – just cool them down, transfer to bags or containers, and freeze. It’s best to cook the pasta fresh just before serving.

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