Chicken & Cauliflower Meatballs {Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free}

These Chicken & Cauliflower Meatballs are bound to become a new staple! So simple and made with only 7 real food ingredients, these delicious little bites are the perfect thing to make for a protein-packed and veggie-loaded addition to any meal! And they are gluten free, dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30, egg-free and nut-free too! So yeah, they are basically magic in edible form!

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“If you hadn’t told me there was cauliflower in these meatballs, I would have never guessed it was in them,” a friend said last night at dinner as she carefully examined her half eaten meatball and then processed to pop the rest of it in her mouth. We had been invited over her house for dinner with her family and I eagerly brought my newest recipe to share….and to admittedly test out on a crowd that was not my immediate family.

“Score!” I thought to myself as I smiled and continued on with my dinner. Mission accomplished. Another veggie-loaded recipe that is easy to make but serves up all kinds of healthy goodness in a tasty little way!

Truth be told, cauliflower is not the most loved veggie in my house. Not by me. Or my husband. And most definitely not our 7-year-old daughter. However, you will notice that these are multiple recipes on The Natural Nurturer that have cauliflower as one of their main ingredients….and my crew loves every single one of them!

Because that is kind of what veggie-loading is all about. Finding creative and delicious ways to enjoy veggies…..even the veggies you do not currently love. To get those nutrient dense, vitamin filled plants into our bodies without having to choke them down.

Take cauliflower for example. It is a vegetable most people can find year-round (though its peak season is fall) and is high in fiber, is an excellent source of antioxidants, is high in choline (a nutrient that many people are low in and that is important in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes and brain development (source)), and is rich source of vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and manganese.

Ummmmm can you see why I don’t want to miss out on the amazingness of cauliflower….even though I don’t particularly care for it?

So, I veggie-load it into things like Creamy Cauliflower & Blueberry Smoothie, 20-Minute Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice and now….meatballs! Oh-so delicious, oh-so easy and oh-so veggie-loaded meatballs. You read about them….now go and make them and enjoy all the goodness that cauliflower holds!

Suggested Adaptations

1. Use whatever ground meat you prefer! I have made this recipe with ground beef, ground turkey and ground chicken! It’s delightful and delicious no matter what your meat base!

2. Be sneaky with the cauliflower or leave it out there for all to see! This could definitely be considered a “hidden veggie” kind of recipe if you need that (for yourself or someone else) since finely riced cauliflower can easily disappear into the chicken. However, if you are trying to make yourself or a family member more comfortable with cauliflower in your food, perhaps consider using a chunkier rice cauliflower in these meatballs so that the flavors still blend together nicely but the cauliflower isn’t so visually masked. This is a great stepping stone for individuals who are learning to embrace vegetables into their diet.

Love veggie-loaded recipes as much as I do? Check out my ebook, Veggie-Loaded Love, for oodles of veggie-packed recipes…including Flourless Chocolate Protein Muffins (with hidden greens) that will change your breakfast game….even with those picky eaters!

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Yield: 18 meatballsAuthor: TaeshaPrint RecipePin it

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Chicken & Cauliflower Meatballs {Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free}

These Chicken & Cauliflower Meatballs are bound to become a new staple! So simple and made with only 7 real food ingredients, these delicious little bites are the perfect thing to make for a protein-packed and veggie-loaded addition to any meal! And they are gluten free, dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30, egg-free and nut-free too! So yeah, they are basically magic in edible form!

prep time: 5 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 35 mins

ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken

• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 green onions, chopped

• 1 1/2 cups riced cauliflower (if using frozen, defrost first and drain off extra liquid)

• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

• black pepper to taste

instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Time to get messy! Using your (freshly washed) hands, mix the ingredients until everything is well blended.

Gently roll the meat into golfball size portions. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in a large baking dish . Note: Using a baking dish or a baking sheet with a lip is important, as the vegetables will give off some liquid during the cooking process.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

Enjoy warm on their own, with 30-Minute Veggie-Loaded Tomato Sauce over zoodles, over a salad, your favorite pasta or save fore later! Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days or in freezer for a month

NOTES:

Suggested Adaptations

Use whatever ground meat you prefer! I have made this recipe with ground beef, ground turkey and ground chicken! It’s delightful and delicious no matter what your meat base!

Be sneaky with the cauliflower or leave it out there for all to see! This could definitely be considered a “hidden veggie” kind of recipe if you need that (for yourself or someone else) since finely riced cauliflower can easily disappear into the chicken. However, if you are trying to make yourself or a family member more comfortable with cauliflower in your food, perhaps consider using a chunkier rice cauliflower in these meatballs so that the flavors still blend together nicely but the cauliflower isn’t so visually masked. This is a great stepping stone for individuals who are learning to embrace vegetables into their diet.

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