with less waste.
Soft, juicy, and packed with hidden veggies. These meatballs are a foolproof way to nourish your family—and use up those sad veggies lurking in your fridge.
Category
toddler / family dinner
Servings
20 small meatballs
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Author:
Munch Cupboard
with less waste. Soft, juicy, and packed with hidden veggies. These meatballs are a foolproof way to nourish your family—and use up those sad veggies lurking in your fridge.
Ingredients
500g ground meat (beef, chicken, or turkey)
1 small zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
1 small carrot, grated
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (stale bread ends? Perfect.)
1/4 cup grated cheese (optional but tasty)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil for frying
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried herbs
Salt to taste
For the tomato sauce (optional):
Directions
Prep the veg. Grate your zucchini and carrot. Squeeze the zucchini in a clean tea towel to remove as much water as possible—this keeps your meatballs from falling apart.
Mix it all up. In a bowl, combine the meat, veggies, breadcrumbs, cheese (if using), onion, garlic, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your hands—it's the quickest way. Don't overmix or they'll be dense.
Roll. Shape into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Makes about 20.
Cook. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches for 8-10 minutes, turning until golden and cooked through. No raw centres here, please.
Sauce (optional). In the same pan, add crushed tomatoes and herbs. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pop the meatballs back in to coat.
Serve. With pasta, mashed potato, rice, or just on their own with a dip.
Recipe Note
Zero Waste Tips
Use up sad veg: Zucchini, carrot, capsicum, mushroom—grate them all in. No one will notice.
Stale bread becomes breadcrumbs: Blitz old bread ends in a blender. Freeze for future batches.
Leftover sauce? Freeze it for next time.
Can't finish them? Freeze cooked meatballs on a tray, then pop in a bag. Reheat straight from frozen.
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