Frozen Meatball Recipe for Bulk Cooking
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This frozen meatball recipe is a kid-pleaser. They are stuffed with hidden nutrition and I can make a ton of them ahead of time and freeze them so they’re ready. It’s the perfect daycare freezer meal.
I love freezer meals and bulk cooking! It saves us tons of time and effort at meal times when the kids are here. See how we simplify menu planning at Little Sprouts. My kids love meatballs, meatloaf, and anything else with those “spaghetti or pizza flavors” that are in Italian food. If it smells like pizza in here, everyone is hungry!
Meatballs for kids
Meatballs are similar to meatloaf, but I made these in small balls for less hassle and waste. This frozen meatball recipe uses two per serving for a 3-4-year-old. They are easy to divide, easy to serve seconds and all the kids gobble them up.
Getting kids to eat nutritious food is super important, but it’s not always easy. After 28 years of running a home daycare, I’ve seen all kinds of eaters, and I know how to feed the pickiest at least something. Here are more ideas for dinner that might work with picky eaters.
Click here to see more bulk freezer cooking ideas that my Little Sprouts love:
Bulk meatballs
I have included a quadruple batch of freezer meatballs recipe so you can make a huge batch and put a bunch in the freezer for the next time. If you are going to make a mess and cook, you might as well really get something done.
For more about how to get picky kids to eat healthy foods, click on the highlighted text. And to change your family’s eating lifestyle, check out zero to hero nutrition. You’re going to be amazed at how easy it is with just a little time and some extra effort to change how your family eats. Even how you eat! This freezer meatball recipe for bulk cooking is just the beginning.
And you can even use them to make these fun creepy meatball eyeballs for Halloween! Or kid-pleasing Pepperoni Meatball Roll Ups.
For even more make-ahead freezer meals that you can prepare ahead, check out this post.
For more ground beef ideas, check these out:
- 5 ingredient beef enchiladas
- Hamburger cauliflower soup
- BBQ Meatloaf
- Vegetable beef soup
- Fully loaded burger bowls
Frozen meatball recipe
Real Food Meatballs x 4
Ingredients
- 4 lb ground meat
- 2 chopped onion
- 4 eggs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 c. bread crumbs
- 2 c. quick oats or make your own from old fashioned
- 1 c. grated cheese
- 2 c. tomato sauce
- 4 tsp. thyme
- 4 tsp. parsley
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- Ketchup to top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Grind up oats in your food processor to make quick oats
- Dump oats in a bowl
- Make bread crumbs in your food processor
- Dump crumbs in the bowl
- Chop up onion and garlic in your food processor
- Dump into bowl with oats and crumbs
- Add egg, cheese, tomato sauce, herbs and salt and pepper
- Mix well
- Add meat and mix lightly until just mixed
- Scoop balls in small muffin scoop and roll lightly to shape
- Bake 10-12 minutes
- Makes 80 balls or 20 servings (for preschool agers)
For more quick and easy freezer meals, check these out!
Food Program for Daycare Provider Helps
- How to Get Kids to Actually Eat Healthy Food
- Complete Guide to Planning Daycare Menus
- CACFP Meal Planning Template with Sample Menu and Shopping List
- Premade Daycare Monthly Menus
- 5 Minute Daycare Lunches
- Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters
- Toddler Meals for Picky Eaters
- Dirt cheap meals for daycare
- Cheap Breakfast Ideas for Daycare
- Cheap Lunch Ideas for Daycare
- If you’re wondering about the child and adult care food program for daycare providers, check this out.
