Contents
Hidden Veggie Beef Meatballs – Juicy & Family-Friendly (10 Months & Up) 🧆🥕
These juicy Hidden Veggie Beef Meatballs are soft, flavorful, and packed with grated zucchini, carrot, and potato. They’re perfect for babies 10 months and up, toddlers, kids, and adults, and ideal for meal prep, family dinners, or fun party food.
Made with lean ground beef, shredded vegetables, egg, breadcrumbs, and simple seasonings, they bake up tender and moist. Serve them with yogurt dip, ketchup, warm marinara, or over rice, pasta, or in a wrap for a balanced, nourishing meal.
Why Hidden Veggie Beef Meatballs Are So Great
- Perfect texture for babies: Soft enough for babies with few teeth (10+ months).
- Loaded with hidden veggies: Ideal for picky eaters who avoid vegetables.
- Meal-prep friendly: Freeze and reheat easily for quick weeknight meals.
- Versatile for the whole family: Serve with pasta, rice, in wraps, or as finger food.
- Fun party food: Great with dips like yogurt, ketchup, or hummus.
- Balanced nutrition: Protein, fiber, and vitamins all in one bite.
Nutritional Benefits
These hidden veggie beef meatballs are as nourishing as they are tasty:
- Lean ground beef: Excellent source of iron, protein, and zinc for growth and brain development.
- Zucchini: Provides hydration, fiber, and vitamin C.
- Carrot: Rich in beta-carotene for healthy vision and immunity.
- Potato: Adds potassium and energy-boosting carbohydrates.
- Egg: Offers protein and healthy fats for growing bodies.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs and add texture (use whole grain or gluten-free if needed).
Ingredients
Adjust Servings: 1
- 1.2–1.4 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 potato (gold potato works well)
- 1 carrot
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt (omit for younger babies)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- Olive oil for cooking
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Peel and grate the potato, carrot, and zucchini into a large mixing bowl. Do not strain – the moisture from the veggies helps make soft meatballs.
- Add the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, paprika) to the bowl.
- Combine everything very well, breaking up the meat and working it with your hands for 1–2 minutes. This helps create tender meatballs.
- Form meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes on each side to get a nice crispy exterior (they will not be cooked through yet).
- Transfer the meatballs carefully to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 18–20 minutes, until cooked through.
- Serve with a dip (yogurt, ketchup, hummus) or over rice, pasta, or in a bread roll and enjoy.
Storage Notes
Refrigerate in a closed container for up to 4 days. For freezing, place meatballs in a single layer in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake or air-fry from frozen for about 10 minutes, until warmed through.
