18-36 Months: Eating with the Family – Your Sociable Child (part 2) – Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

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Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Pasta and tomato sauce is usually well-received by small children. I have added some delicious mini-chicken meatballs that can be mashed into the sauce if anyone doesn’t care for “lumps”!




25 minutes

30 minutes


NOTE

5–6 child portions

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 red onion, minced

  • 1 small carrot, peeled and grated

  • 1 sweet apple, cored and grated

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tsp light brown sugar

  • 1 tsp thyme leaves or chopped parsley

  • 14oz can crushed tomatoes

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 tbsp ketchup

  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock

  • 3 tbsp fresh bread crumbs

  • 1 tbsp apple juice or applesauce

  • 8oz ground chicken (about 1 cup)

  • 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1–2 tbsp all-purpose flour, for dusting

  • 2–3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil, for frying

  • Per portion

    • 1–11/2oz fusilli pasta, cooked

  1. Heat the olive oil in a
    large saucepan and cook the onion, carrot, and apple until soft and
    golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the vinegar and 1
    tsp of the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the vinegar has evaporated. Add
    the thyme. Spoon half of the onion mixture into a large bowl and set
    aside.

  2. Add the tomatoes,
    tomato paste, ketchup, stock, and the remaining sugar to the onion
    mixture in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a
    boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring
    occasionally.

  3. Meanwhile, make the
    meatballs by adding the bread crumbs, apple juice, ground chicken, and
    Parmesan to the onion mixture in the bowl. Mix well and season. For a
    finer texture, chop everything together in a food processor. Dust your
    hands with flour and roll teaspoonfuls of the chicken mixture into 28
    small meatballs that are the size of large cherry tomatoes.

  4. Heat the oil in a large
    nonstick frying pan and brown the meatballs for about 1 minute on each
    side. Remove from the pan with a slotted spatula and drain on paper
    towels.

  5. Add the meatballs
    to the sauce, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
    Divide the meatballs into portions and toss each very gently with a
    portion of cooked pasta. Cool slightly before serving with extra
    Parmesan.

  6. The meatballs and
    sauce (without pasta) can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up
    to 2 days, or frozen in individual portions; thaw overnight in the
    refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or a small pan, adding 1 tsp water
    per portion if necessary. Toss with pasta and serve as above.