These turkey meatballs are masterful at turning a persnickety little toddler into a robust eating machine. They not only serve as a vehicle for hiding all manner of child-repelled vegetables, but they’re also tasty and texturally satisfying–tender and juicy on the inside with a delightfully crunchy crust on the outside.
Every feeding success with a toddler is an experiment of creative trial and error. I’d never made anything with ground turkey before, but after having regular beef meatballs, chili, taco meat all rejected, I had to try out a different protein to make sure meals were still nutrient-rich 🍖. During bouts of teething, I also figured out that the Little may have been having a textural issue with food, so there had to be an element of crunch to inspire a quality eating session. Coating these meatballs in a dusting of lightly seasoned breadcrumbs was the final bit of magic that did the trick. The first time I made these, Little was running around the kitchen gobbling up every bite I was handing out. I’ve made them every week since I struck this mealtime goldmine ⛏️.
They’re super easy to modify with any vegetable or flavor and pair well with literally any other sides your little one fancies. I usually serve them with a scoop of yogurt or sour cream, cubed cheese, and tomato chunks. They store well in the fridge for up to 5 days and travel really well for meals on the go or at day-care/grandma’s house. I don’t want to jinx it, but these meatballs are my current hero and I’ll continue to make them as long as their powers work on my kiddo.
