Sweet & Sour Meatballs Recipe With Healthy Vegetables

_{These Sweet & Sour Hidden Veggie Meatballs are not your average cocktail food. Kids love eating these tasty meatballs with toothpicks, as a fun meal with egg noodles and veggies.}

Sweet & Sour Meatballs Recipe With Healthy Vegetables

These are not just your average appetizers. I try to find fun ways to add in more vegetables to our diet. These little meatballs are packed with a full serving of veggies.

Don’t tell your kids, because they will never know the difference. I often think wouldn’t it be great if supermarkets and food companies placed the same priority as parents so often do on making life simple and healthy?

It seems that we are both on a completely different set of missions. I am sure you know this dilemma well. Brightly colored food boxes filled with not-so-great ingredients, some we can not even pronounce. They all place a stake in the claim to be good for you – even when you know that is not possible.

That is why I try to make as much healthy food at home and with real food. Kids are so picky. They often eat based on looks. I combined the two – looks & healthy into a one-two-punch type of meal. 

We love all things sweet and sour, including Sweet and Sour Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork. These meatballs are also favorites. Especially because they are simple and have a delicious sauce filled with broccoli, and pineapples.

How to Make Sweet And Sour Meatballs

Please note a printable recipe card is listed below with the full list of ingredients.

Meatballs With Ground Beef & Veggies Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 ground beef chop
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 broccoli puree
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp pepper

How to make these meatballs

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

STEP TWO: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, until onion is transparent. Add in garlic, and cook one minute.

STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl, add bread crumbs, broccoli puree, egg, ground meat, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and add in onions and garlic. Mix using hands until well combined. Form in 1/2 inch meatballs and then set aside in a large bowl.

STEP FOUR: Heat in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add in meatballs and cook for 10 minutes until they have browned. Then transfer to a serving plate.

Ingredients needed to make the sweet & sour sauce – no soy sauce

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp A1 steak sauce
• 1/4 cup pineapple, crushed – you can use fresh pineapple
• 1 tbsp favorite orange jam

STEP ONE: Making the sauce. In a small saucepan, add in olive oil, chopped onion & brown sugar. Stir frequently until onions are tender. Add in the remaining ingredients. Cook until to a boil.

STEP TWO: Using a hand blender or food processor, blend the mixture until completely smooth. Pour over your meatballs.

Serve these delicious meatballs over rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles and you’re set! Or keep warm in a slow cooker and serve at your next party!!

Tips for Making the Best Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• Use pineapple chunks in JUICE, not in heavy syrup. If you get the pineapple with syrup, it will be way too sweet and way too high in added sugar. If you can, fresh is the best!
• Use a cookie scoop. It keeps them all roughly the same size, so they cook evenly. This little guy is one of the handiest tools. I use it a lot around the kitchen.
• Wet your hands when forming the meatballs. It helps your hands stay sticky-free and makes your meatballs perfectly round. Just keep in mind, that a little water goes a long way.

We’ve been long-time fans of all things sweet and sour (if you are too, you’ll love our sweet and sour chicken recipe), and we were excited to try a meatball version.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs With Hidden Vegetables

When thinking of planning your next party or kid-friendly meal why not give these meatballs a shot?

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Originally posted February 20, 2015.

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Other Kids Friendly Meal Options

Easy Weeknight Vegetable Stir Fry

Easy Homemade Corn Dog Batter Mix

Simple and Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Eating out is easy, and it usually tastes delicious, but it’s expensive. Making this meal at home will save you money. Add this recipe to your weekly meal plan.