Baked Italian Zucchini Meatballs

If you’re looking for a new recipe to use up some of your zucchini, these baked Italian zucchini meatballs are perfect! They are jammed packed with zucchini, delicious, easy, and healthy, so win, win, win! Even better, these zucchini meatballs are freezable, which is one of my very favorite things.

It’s summer gardening season here in the Midwest, and that means all the zucchini you can eat! I absolutely love fresh produce and having my own garden, but I have to be completely honest with you: I’m not a master gardener. I love reaping the benefits of growing my own food, but truthfully I don’t always love putting the work in. You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule in health and fitness? I’d say I operate at more of a 60/40 when it comes to gardening…60% hard work and effort; 40% negligence and avoidance. And this reason right here is exactly why I love zucchini! Much like the asparagus I wrote about this spring, zucchini is a minimal effort, maximum results kind of plant. Rejoice!! I found this recipe last summer when I was swimming in zucchini and used it year round. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner and can be served along side just about anything.

This recipe is originally from The Real Food Dietitians. You can find it here. These zucchini meatballs are so delicious as is, the only changes I tend to make are batch sizes. I typically triple this recipe; serving 1 helping immediately and holding back 2 helpings to freeze. I will note that these meatballs do have a little kick to them, so if you are cooking for littles, you may want to back the crushed pepper down to half depending on their tastes.

This super simple recipe only has a few quick steps. Shred approximately 2 medium zucchini with a grater or food processor. Mix all ingredients together, form balls, place on a baking sheet, and bake. Pro tip: for quick, uniform balls, use a large cookie scoop to form your meatballs.

Yum

Baked Italian Zucchini Meatballs

Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together with hands in a bowl. Form balls (pro tip: use a large cookie scoop to make quick, uniform balls). Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and place meatballs on the sheet. Bake meatballs for 18-22 minutes depending on the size of your meatball until no longer pink in the middle.

Notes

To freeze: Place formed meatballs on a sheet pan and place in freezer. Flash freeze for 45 minutes. Remove meatballs from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag separating each row with wax paper.

To cook frozen meatballs: Follow regular cooking instructions adding 5-7 minutes if frozen. If fully thawed, cook as directed above.

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To Freeze:

Flash freeze raw formed meatballs on cookie sheet for about an hour. Transfer frozen meatballs to a freezer safe container. Store for up to 3 months. Cook frozen for approximately 25 minutes.