- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Serving: 4 - 8
Nutrition facts (per portion)
- Calories: 145
- Carbohydrate Content: 8g
- Fat Content: 5g
- Fiber Content: 2g
- Protein Content: 16g
- Saturated Fat Content: 1g
- Sodium Content: 0.28g
- Sugar Content: 6g
Toddler recipe: Batch-cook mini pork & veg balls
Ingredients
- rapeseed-oil - 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- onion - 1 small onion, chopped
- wholemeal-bread - 1 slice wholemeal bread, torn into chunks
- carrot - 1 carrot, cut into chunks
- celery - 1 celery stick, cut into chunks
- red-pepper - 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
- pork-mince - 500g lean pork mince
- egg - 1 egg
- rapeseed-oil - 1 tsp rapeseed oil
- garlic-cloves - 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- passata - 2 x 390g cartons passata
- thyme - 1 tsp dried thyme
- sugar - 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- basil - fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)
- spaghetti - cooked spaghetti and grated cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat 2 tsp rapeseed oil in a mediumsaucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5-10 mins until softened. Blitz the bread in afood processoruntil you have breadcrumbs. Add the cooked onion, carrot, celery and peppers and pulse until finely chopped. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the pork, egg and a little black pepper, then pulse to combine.
- Divide the mixture in half. Shape half into small meatballs about the size of large marbles and arrange on a baking tray lined with foil. Shape the rest into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Arrange on a lined tray and open freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and save for another meal. Now bake the mini meatballs for 25 mins or until browned and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Using the same pan that you cooked the onion in, heat the 1 tsp oil, add the garlic and cook for 2 mins. Pour in the passata, add the thyme and sugar. Simmer for 5-10 mins. Gently stir the meatballs and any juices into the sauce and heat through for a few mins. Stir the meatballs through the spaghetti and serve with grated cheese.
Meatballs recipe for 4 – 8 people, takes only 45 mins; recipe has rapeseed oil, onion, wholemeal bread, carrot, celery, red pepper, pork mince, egg, rapeseed oil, garlic cloves, passata, thyme, sugar, basil and spaghetti.
