Loaded Veggie Turkey Meatballs with Garlic Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash​

This kind of recipe really reminds me of my mom. Anyway I could sneak vegetables into the meal for her to eat I would try and do it. These Loaded Veggie Turkey Meatballs were spot on down to the food processor making sure the veggies were finely chopped. Great recipe for kids or adults that have trouble eating their vegetables. Plus, you can't even tell there are veggies in the meatballs when eating them. Winning. The recipe below is tripled from the original recipe, and the only parts I changed were using just a little bit less ghee then recommended, and using spinach instead of kale. The recipes suggests using a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet to cook the meatballs, and I really wish I had those to test that method out. Ground turkey always leaves fat and juice behind that you sometimes have to scrape it off when cooking on a baking sheet. So if you end up making these using a cooling rack, please let me know how it turned out. I paired this with my own version of Garlic Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash and absolutely loved the meal. Making a blended mash like this one is another way to add some more vegetables into your life. With the garlic and sweet potato, you can't even tell there is cauliflower in there. All around, a delicious and nutritious meal that I definitely recommend trying. ​

Loaded Veggie Turkey Meatballs 
Ingredients:

• 3 pound ground turkey (preferably thigh meat)
• 1 1/2 cup lightly steamed broccoli florets , finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup kale, finely chopped (or any other green)
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (or basil, parsley, or dill)
• 3 egg, beaten
• 6 tbsp butter or ghee, melted
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour **see note
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400′ F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper OR place a cooling rack on top of baking sheet.
2. Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated.
3. Roll into small meatballs (I use a small cookie scoop to get uniform balls) and place onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until baked through and slightly golden.

Notes:

• I highly recommend using a food processor to chop you veggies.  This makes for a super nice texture in the meatballs.
• I prefer to steam the broccoli before adding it to the recipe.  I’ve tried grated raw broccoli and don’t love the texture.  Simply steam broccoli in a steamer basket for 3-4 minutes until slightly soft and still bright green. Be sure to finely chop for best texture.
• Most people bake meatballs right on the baking sheet (lined with parchment paper), which works fine.  I find that my meatballs cook a bit more evenly if I place them on a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
• I used coconut flour as a binder.  You can sub any flour that you have like almond or cassava, but you will have to use at double the tablespoons of any other flour.  Start with 2 and add another if mixture seems too sticky to roll.

Original recipe found here


Garlic Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head, chopped into florets (I used 2 bags (16 oz) of frozen cauliflower)
• 3-5 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp ghee (you can also use coconut oil)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, garlic cloves, and salt in a pot, and cover with water.
2. Place the pot over medium-high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble until the vegetables are fork tender. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables.
4. Place the vegetables into a medium bowl or back in the pot, and add the ghee, black pepper, and salt (to taste). Mash the ingredients together with a potato masher or lightly blend with a hand mixer to combine. (You can also use a food processor to make the mash smooth.)

Notes:

• If you have an Instant Pot, you can easily steam all the vegetables and garlic in there. Personally, I opted for this and did the sweet potatoes separately from the cauliflower and garlic to make sure everything steamed thoroughly.