It’s that time of year again – summer vacations are coming to an end and school is just around the corner! To help you ease into the school year, we’ve put together some healthy recipes using ground chicken and ground pork that both adults and kids will love!
Easy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
With less than 15 minutes of prep time, these baked chicken meatballs are so easy to make and are great for lunch. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also make them ahead of time and freeze them for future use! Allow the meatballs to cool completely, place them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Don’t like ground chicken? Substitute with a mix of ground beef and ground pork.
Yields: 15 meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of each: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper
3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 15 meatballs and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through.
Pork Empanadas
Tender, flaky and full of a hearty mixture – these are the best empanadas you’ll ever have. Using refrigerated pie crust, these pork empanadas are easy to whip up, great to have for lunch, and will be ready in just 30 minutes. You can also add whatever you’d like to the filling depending on what your child likes. Fun variations include green peas, carrots or potatoes. You can also use ground chicken in place of pork.
Leftover empanadas can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
1 package of pre-made pie crust (2 rolls)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound of ground pork
Small can of tomato paste (156ml)
1 tsp of each: oregano, paprika, salt and pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 egg
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the ground pork, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until pork is cooked through. Stir in tomato paste, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Roll out pie crusts. Using a small round bowl, trace circles onto each pie crust. With leftover dough, mix together, roll out and continue cutting circles until all dough is used.
- Lay a pie crust circle down on the prepared baking sheet. Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the middle of the circle. Top with cheese. Fold dough in half over filling. Press the edges down with a fork.
- Beat an egg in a small bowl and brush on top of each empanada.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until top is golden.