Mini-meatballs are one of those perfect foods for toddlers.  They are bite-sized, tasty and packed with nutrition, not to mention the fact that they taste great in so many combinations.  I keep a batch in my freezer at all times for quick weekday lunches, dinners on nights when my son hates what my husband and I are having or as add-ins to other dishes.

I'm not a huge proponent of making special Kids Only meals, especially since I go out of my way to plan a menu that's good for my whole family most of the time.  However, there are nights when my husband and I let our inner Cajuns take over and make a recipe with super-spicy sausage or the like, and our two-year-old's tummy is not quite ready for that type of cuisine.  One those nights, I turn to my trusty container of frozen homemade meatballs.  I generally make a big batch of these about once a month and freeze most of them.  If you make them bite-sized, you can thaw them in the microwave in about 45 seconds or less.  My son likes them alone with fruit and veggies on the side, mixed in with pasta or even sliced in half and atop his pizza.  Some days, I throw a few in his lunchbox with leftover veggies from the night before. His teachers say they can't give them to him fast enough at lunch time.

My version of mini-meatballs are kind of like tiny little meatloaves.  I add a lot of good stuff to the meat, then mix it up well so there's tasty specks in each bite.    Instead of coarse-chopping my veggies, I usually grate them or put them in the food processor for a couple of seconds so the pieces are smaller.  My son likes the flavors (so do I!) and I like that he's getting something tasty and nutritious.

MINI-MEATBALLS

• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1/4 cup cooked frozen peas
• 1 raw carrot, peeled
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with foil of parchment paper.  In a large bowl, place ground meat, herbs, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, ketchup, garlic, and onion.  Grate carrot and zucchini (with cheese grater) into bowl.  In food processor, chop red pepper into very small pieces, add to bowl.  Again, in food processor, pulse peas until they burst into small pieces, add to bowl.  Mix all ingredients together, as you would for meatloaf.   Roll into bite-sized balls and place on baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.  Bake 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve alone, with veggies,  in pastas, in soups, on sandwich rolls, atop pizza or salads, or as a part of your favorite dish