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    Zucchini Meatballs

    May 13, 2013 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 8 Comments

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    zucchini meatballs

    Summer is upon us. (Maybe, I did see a ton of sweater and coat comments in my FB feed over the weekend from my friends up north.) One of the things that I love about summer is the fresh produce, farmer’s market and being able to get great prices on fruits and veggies throughout the summer. One veggie in particular is usually easy to find at super low prices…zucchini. Zucchini is super easy to grow, and is often in abundance, hence the low prices. I once visited a farmer’s market in NYC, 2 years ago I think!, and the stack of zucchini was priced at $.99/lb. That’s CHEAP for NYC prices, and it wouldn’t be unusual to find it as low as $.49/lb in other parts of the country. If I had to “pick a price,” I wouldn’t pay more than $.79/lb for zucchini in the summer…and stock up when you see it any lower than that.

    Zucchini is an easy veggie to stock up on because you can shred it and freeze it. It’s perfect for baking bread, and also for using in these meatballs! (Especially if you have to sneak in the veggies to your kiddos’ diet!)

    Zucchini Recipes

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    Baked Zucchini Sticks

    These will be your new favorite snack!

    Zucchini Freezer Soup

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    Photo Credit: www.5dollardinners.com

    And a few other fun Meatball Recipes

    Meatball Recipes

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    Spinach Meatballs with Spaghetti

    A delicious one plate dinner. A kid-friendly one plate dinner. A mom-approved one plate dinner.

    And now we can add these to the list…I present you with Zucchini Meatballs.

    Zucchini Meatballs

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    Zucchini Meatballs

    The best way to sneak veggies into your next dinner!
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time30 minutes
    Servings - 16 meatballs

    Ingredients 

    • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
    • 1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 1/4 cup)
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (homemade or store bought)
    • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
    • 1 tsp salt and pepper
    • 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, to top meatballs
    • Pasta & Sauce
    • Favorite veggie side, we had green beans!

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, zucchini shreds, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
    • Form into large meatballs, mine were about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and I made 16 meatballs.
    • Place into a glass baking dish (I used a smaller 7x11 glass dish, what you see above).
    • Then top each meatballs with a little pasta sauce.
    • Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on size and thickness of the meatballs.
    • Cook the pasta as directed.
    • Prepare veggies.
    • Serve Zucchini Meatballs over pasta and sauce with side of veggies.

    Meatballs with Zucchini

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    Filed Under: Beef Recipes, Budget Friendly Recipes, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans, Pasta Recipes

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    Comments

    1. Dawn says

      August 20, 2013 at 8:45 pm

      Hi…want to try this recipe and I wondered, did you peel the zucchini first or just use them whole? Thanks for all the great inspiration! I love getting new ideas delivered right to my inbox. 🙂

      Reply
      • Stephanie says

        June 16, 2019 at 11:49 am

        I don’t peel my zuchinni. There’s a lot of nutrients in the peel. I just cut them in half or fourths and run them through my food processor. Easy peasy!

        Reply
    2. Liz says

      October 6, 2014 at 11:36 am

      I don’t eat wheat. Can oatmeal be used in place of the breadcrumbs?

      Reply
      • Jenn K says

        October 6, 2014 at 3:49 pm

        Absolutely 🙂

        Reply
    3. Rachel F says

      October 6, 2014 at 1:50 pm

      Can these be cooked before freezing so that they can be pulled out for a last minute meal?

      Reply
    4. Patti says

      October 7, 2014 at 9:29 am

      I don’t use wheat either, I use small pearl tapioca in place of breadcrumbs in all my recipes and no one can tell the difference. It holds meat together wonderfully and is very moist.

      Reply
    5. Belinda says

      October 12, 2014 at 10:37 pm

      Is that 1 tsp. each salt and pepper or 1 tsp combined salt and pepper to taste. 1 tsp of pepper would be quite a lot for 1 1/2 lbs. of hamburger.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Amy’s Notebook 05.15.13 | The Motherload says:
      May 15, 2013 at 7:00 am

      […] really like to up the nutrition in regular dishes, and this recipe for meatballs with zucchini added seems like a […]

      Reply

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    I’m Erin Chase…

    Also known as the
    $5 Dinner Mom.

    I have a little problem. I cannot make a meal that costs more than $5.
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