Healthy, chicken meatballs is just what I need in my life right now. Because … have you seen my Alabama Pot Roast recipe? Not the healthiest thing in the world.
Sometimes you just want need something light, healthy, full of veg. This is it. And I’m not sure, but I think you can call this low carb, right? I don’t know, I don’t keep track of that kind of stuff, I love carbs. But I do have to try to keep a handle on my cholesterol, so there is that.
And it’s quick. 6 minutes! Fix a big salad on the side while this is cooking and boom! You got a veg filled, healthy dinner for the fam!
CHICKEN ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS & MASHED POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
1 zucchini or yellow squash, about 8 oz., coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb.ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large jalapeños, finely chopped, red if you can find them
handful of cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
shake or two of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
POTATOES
2 pounds potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 heavy cream or evaporated milk
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, optional
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, process zucchini and olive oil until finely chopped.
Combine zucchini and all other meatball ingredients, in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate the mix for 30 minutes.
Chop potatoes into 1 to 1.5″ cubes. Place the potatoes, broth, and garlic cloves (if using), salt, and pepper in the pot. Place the butter pieces on top. Place the trivet on top.
Form into balls about the size of a walnut or so. Place on the trivet. Pressure for 6 minutes on high. When done, quick release the pressure. No, your meat will not be tough, don’t worry. Remove to a plate.
When done, add 1/4 cup evaporated milk/heavy cream and parmesan cheese, if using, to the pot and mash the potatoes, as fine or as chunky as you like. Serve together, eat! If you want, you can brown the meatballs when done in a little butter to make them more visually appealing, but that’s completely optional.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A PRESSURE COOKER?
Good question! Well, I have made these meatballs on the stove, and on the grill (not suggested), as chicken burgers. Just make as above, form them into burger patties and cook in a pan over medium heat. I put a tad of oil on the bottom of my pan, but if you have a great nonstick pan, no need. I love them as burgers too, with a schmear of mustard on top, no bun needed.
This totally failed for my on the grill. It crumbled on me and stuck to my grill. I may just need new grates, but if you’re willing give it a whirl – it may work totally fine for you.
And just a tip here, when I’m making anything like this, burgers, meatballs, meat loafs, whatever, I like to test it before I commit. What I mean is, you see I have salt to taste up there? How can you do that without cooking it … You can’t eat raw meat. I like to get a pan hot and pinch a bit of meat off and cook for a little taste test. Then I can see what else it needs, salt, pepper, habanero mango seasoning, whatever.
These seriously look amazing! Zucchini? Mashed Potatoes?! Yes!
Woah! I LOVE the idea of adding the zucchini to the meatballs! I can’t wait to try it. Saving right now 🙂
Thanks for sharing with us on the Homestead Blog Hop. Hope to see more this Wednesday.
They sound delicious! Love the addition of the jalapenos! Thanks for sharing the recipe with SYC.
Jann
Next time I make meatballs I’ll be using this recipe, it sounds great and it may be a way to get the kids to eat more vegetables.
Thank you for sharing the recipe at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
They look yummy! I’ve pinned to try later. I found your post on the GRAND Social.
I am looking forward to making this recipe with the next Zucchini that we harvest from our garden, it looks so good! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
These sound delicious! We are big meatball fans in this family. I would need to leave the jalapeños out, for the kids I think! Otherwise, sounds perfect.
Sounds yum!
The meatballs look amazing and the spices sound like they are really flavorful. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – have a great week!
Thanks for checking it out Helen!
What a great recipe. Love the ingredients. And they look nice and moist.
These meatballs look delicious, really like the zucchini in them.
I love these – I love that you added zucchini which I am sure kept the chciken meatballs moist. Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Thanks for checking it out! This is super moist!
This sounds like something I’d like to make. I’m assuming it’s only gonna make 2 to 4 servings, am I right? I live alone and close to 70 years old so don’t eat much in one sitting. I’m thinking these would freeze well though. About how many meatballs do you usually get from this recipe? I’ve just found your site through the Instant Pot group, and have enjoyed the brief browsing session while here. You mentioned your Alabama Pot Roast being not so healthy, but it looks plenty healthy to me, except maybe for some ingredients in those mixes that you added in. It looks delicious, as does everything on your site that I have seen so far. I’m def gonna be browsing some more here! Thank you for sharing.
I meant to also mention that I have some ground turkey in the freezer to use up. That should be an okay sub for the chicken, don’t you think?
Definitely.
Wow Naomi, thanks for coming by! It’s only one pound so that’s not a whole lot, but how many you get depends on the size. You can get quite a few and we only usually eat about 3 or 4 in a serving, when making them smaller. They do freeze really well too! If you cook them and then freeze, you can defrost in your pressure cooker with the steam function and keep the moisture.
These sound really delicious. Something totally new to try. Found you on Blogger’s Pit Stop
Hope you give it a try…thanks for checking it out!