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Chicken Meatballs + Yogurt Sauce over Couscous

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Why we love it:

Meatballs are such a great recipe to double and freeze. If you freeze the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet or plate with a little space between each one for 60 minutes, then transfer them to a tupperware or bag they won’t clump together. Next time you need to serve this dish or make a quick meal you can grab what you need, warm them up and you’ll have a great dinner in no time.
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound Ground Chicken (or turkey)
  • 1 Egg
  • 1⁄2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1⁄2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for rolling out)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (plus a few extra pinches)
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 cup Green Beans
  • 1 cup Brussels Sprouts
  • 1 cup Frozen Butternut Squash (look for pre-cut cubes, or check Culinary Skills about using a whole squash)
  • 2 cups Couscous
  • 2 cups Stock (or water)
  • 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Lemon (juice)
  • 1 teaspoon Whole Grain Mustard

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 400 DEGREES

    Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray or parchment paper.

  • 2. MIX

    Mix all the ingredients for meatballs together in a mixing bowl - that's: 1 pound ground chicken or turkey, 1 egg, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated parmesan, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

  • 3. ROLL

    Drizzle some olive oil on your hands and roll the mixture into about 30 small balls. This helps prevent sticking and it evenly coats them in oil for browning. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, rolling them a few times during the baking process so all sides get evenly browned.

  • 4. VEGGIES

    Dice the veggies into 1 - 2” cubes and place on a second baking sheet. If using frozen squash, you can add them straight from the freezer. Drizzle with oil and a pinch of salt. Put in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

  • 5. COUSCOUS

    Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat and dump all of the couscous in, stir well and cover. Let this sit for 8 - 9 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

  • 6. SAUCE

    In a small bowl, stir together: 1 cup Greek yogurt, juice of 1 lemon, and 1 teaspoon whole grain dijon.

  • 7. SERVING

    Serve couscous topped with veggies and meatballs, top with a spoonful of sauce to taste.

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Substitutions

  • DAIRY FREE:
    serve with hummus or pesto or bbq sauce
  • GLUTEN FREE:
    serve with rice instead of couscous
  • CHICKEN:
    ground turkey, or pork, lamb or beef
  • VEGGIES:
    any selection of vegetables will work here, or keep it simple and use one kind only
  • BUTTERNUT SQUASH:
    check Culinary Skills for more details

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate
Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

  • These meatballs are great for kids because there aren’t any chunky bits in them. I’ve found that some kids like patties more than meatballs, so you can smash a few flat before cooking
  • Serve with a dip they like, if not yogurt, perhaps hummus, pesto, ketchup, honey mustard, teriyaki, or BBQ

For Toddlers

  • Break up the meatballs after cooking. You could even mash into the couscous with a fork for a finer consistency for little ones
  • Serve with plain greek yogurt
  • Overcook to soften up any of the veggies as needed

For Choosy Eaters

  • Try tiny meatballs and serve them on skewers. OR press into a patty shape, melt cheese over top if that helps and serve like a slider on a king’s Hawaiian or other small bun
  • Swap couscous for orzo or another pasta or rice
  • Try the yogurt plain or use a dip they already enjoy

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

  1. You can mix the meat up and store it overnight raw 
  2. OR roll and cook the meatballs, then reheat to serve
  3. Consider doubling the meatballs and freezing half once they’re cooked. Defrost overnight and reheat to serve like in this recipe, or in a sandwich, or soup, etc. 
  4. Make the yogurt sauce – it lasts for a week in the fridge
  5. Cook couscous and store for up to a week, microwave to serve

Culinary Skills

Pre-cut squash is often available in the fall in the cut fruit and veggies section or the produce department. It’s more expensive but convenient. If using frozen, they are par cooked and ready to go on the baking sheet.

To use a whole squash, just peel it with a peeler and cut in half where the long thin part meets the rounded bulb. Slice the long thin part into cubes. You can then dice up the rounded part (scooping out the seeds) and chopping. You can save this for another recipe (search for our butternut squash soup!) or pop these cubes into the freezer for longer storage. They’ll last all winter there! 

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