Kid Friendly Meatballs Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute green pepper and onion for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the tomato soup, chicken & rice soup and the water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the ground beef, egg and milk. Break the bread into very small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix together well. (Note: The kids love to use their hands to mix this. Be sure they wash them well before AND afterward to avoid any contamination.)
• Shape the meat mixture into meatballs and drop them into the soup mixture. Continue to simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes. Stir occasionally, but be very careful not to break the meatballs.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, and bread crumbs using your hands. Using an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes, or until somewhat crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta and sauce or however you'd like.

Steps:

• MEATBALLS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F& line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat and heat the olive oil until shimmering.
• Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
• Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Combine the cooled onion mix, ground beef, egg, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
• Mix gently until just combined.
• Using wet hands, form mixture into 24 balls.
• Transfer meatballs to the baking sheet.
• Bake meatballs in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meatballs are browned and cooked through.
• Shift the pans in the oven halfway through cooking time to ensure even browning.
• SAUCE: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven (or medium stockpot) over medium heat.
• Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Sauté vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and juice, sugar, salt, pepper and bay leaves.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 hour.
• Gently stir meatballs into sauce.
• Bring sauce and meatballs to a simmer.
• SPAGHETTI: Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions, until just tender but firm to the bite.
• Drain and move onto serving platter.
• Spoon the sauce and meatballs over the pasta.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Steps:

• Children: Squeeze all the sausage meat out of the sausage skins into a large bowl and add the mince. Tip all the rest of the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, into the bowl and season with black pepper then squish everything together through your hands until completely mixed. Keep an eye on younger children to make sure they don't taste any of the raw mix.
• Children: Roll the meatball mix into walnut-sized balls and place them on a plate - this is a job children as young as 2 can help with and a great job to help teach older children basic division.
• Grown ups: While the children are rolling the meatballs make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for 5 mins until soft and mushy. Stir in the tomato puree, sugar and vinegar leave for 1 min then tip in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins. If your children like courgettes then you can leave the sauce chunky. But if, like mine, they hate courgettes then blitz the sauce with a hand blender - either way continue to simmer sauce gently while you cook the meatballs. If your child is confident with heat, from 7+ they can cook the sauce with supervision.
• Grown ups: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and, working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides then pop them into the sauce - continue to simmer the sauce for 15 mins, stirring very gently until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with cooked spaghetti, extra grated Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves your child has picked and torn.