Thanksgiving Break With Kids And Turkey Meatballs

The kids are out of school for this whole week!! This is the first year that had a whole week off for Thanksgiving. It kind of caught me by surprised. Those who know me, know I LOVE my kids, however, those who know me, know that having all four of my kids at home can driving me a bit bonkers. I am going to try to keep them busy with practice work, cleaning up around the house, working on a few family Christmas gifts, and have them help me cook Thanksgiving dinner.

For lunch yesterday I decided to make something kid-friendly and easy. Anything in a ball form goes over well in my home so I decided to make some turkey and quinoa meatballs. I’m the only one in my family that can eat qunioa by itself. Qunioa is my favorite grain that is full of iron and protein. My family doesn’t like quinoa too much so I tend to mix it in my meals to get them to eat it.

Ingredients Needed:

1 1/4 Lb ground Turkey meat

1/2 Cup of uncooked quinoa (yields 1 cup cooked)

1 Cup Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic

1/2 Cup grated Zucchini

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning Mix

1/4 Teaspoon Chile Flakes (optional)

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Oregano

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon  Salt

1 Egg, beaten

2 Cups Pasta Sauce of your choice

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, cooked quinoa, grated onion, garlic, zucchini, parsley, dried chile flakes (optional), oregano, ground pepper and the egg.

1. Mix well to combine.
2. Form meatballs and place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

1. Bake until the meatballs are cooked thoroughly, about 25-30 minutes.
2. Warm up the pasta sauce and either mix with the meatballs or use at a dipping sauce.

Are you a Quinoa fan? Do you cook with Quinoa?