Baby Food: Mini Turkey Meatballs (8 Months +) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1 lb lean ground beef or 1 lb ground chicken
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 cup plain whole wheat breadcrumbs (homemade or store bought)
1/4 cup brown rice (baby cereal)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg yolk, beaten
3 3 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth (or your choice) or 3 tablespoons vegetable puree (or your choice)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F.
In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, rice cereal and herbs, tossing with fingers until well combined. Set aside.
Place lean ground turkey into a mixing bowl. Add carrots, celery, onion and breadcrumb mixture. Mix into the meat and combine well. Add beaten egg yolk and enough water/veggie puree to moisten the mixture just to bind it (may not need all of it so add in batches).
Form 1tabp of meat mixture into meatballs.
5. Add a bit of water or marinara sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish, about 1/3 cup. Line baking dish with single layer of meatballs, about 1 inch apart. Be sure not to over crowd dish or they will fall apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes, flipping them once during the cooking process to insure they've cooked thoroughly. If you notice the are getting to dark, cover with tinfoil. You don't want them to burn or become tough.
To freeze, let them cool completely. Transfer in single layer (you can stack meatballs, just place parchment paper in between each layer to prevent them from freezing together) in a airtight container. When ready to eat, place in a microwavable dish, add a bit of water, and loosely cover and cook for 1 minute.
Serve with marinara sauce.