I've had a lot of requests for a dairy and gluten free meatball. I've also just had a lot of requests from the kiddies for meatballs. They are so easy to make, and so versatile. If you've got some of these baked mini meatballs in the freezer dinner is never far away...think: pasta sauce...think in rice....think with veggies...there's so many possibilities...including lunchboxes!
These little meatballs are perfect for the kiddies, because you're baking them they don't need too much oil, they crisp up nicely without standing and frying them in batches for what seems like days and they contain mushrooms that the kids won't even notice! I've used pork and veal mince, but you could really use any mince that tickles your fancy.
Now: why do I do these in mini muffin trays and what to do with them when they are baked? Well, the mini cupcake tray is very helpful if you have kiddies helping to roll them as they have to fit in the mini cupcake tray or they are too big. It's also awesome for portion control. Seriously, big meatballs are my kids worst enemy. They look at them and just don't seem to know how to approach them. If they are small they can go without needing to take bites too (which means your veggies are more likely to go undiscovered!)
If you love the idea but want them bigger, by all means bake them on lined trays and adjust the temp to ensure they cook through. These are a great activity with the kids, just ensure they keep their hands wet whilst rolling them otherwise they can be quite sticky.
Need more meatball recipes? I added more recipes for you below:
- Cheesy chicken meatballs in cherry tomato pasta sauce
- Parmesan chicken basil baked meatballs
- Mini sweet and savoury baked pork meatballs
Mini baked meatballs (dairy and gluten free)
Ingredients
- 500 g pork and veal mince
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 egg
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 200 grams mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup quinoa flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Roll the mixture into little balls and put into silicone mini cupcake trays.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Eat hot, stir through pasta sauce, or freeze for another time. Also great cold in lunchboxes.
Iline says
Hi, is there any substitute for the quinoa flakes? Cheers
Kylie says
oats would work! or breadcrumbs. 😉
Crystal says
Hello, how long can these stay in the freezer for? And how do you recommend re-heating? Thanks
Kylie says
They can be in the freezer around 3 months, and I either serve cold directly from the fridge after defrosting, or reheat in the microwave until piping hot. 😉
Noel says
This look great, but I wonder if it matters if you just have a metal muffin pan instead of the silicone? Maybe silly but I'm not sure if it matters?
Kylie says
Yes! It works fine!
Nayely says
Where would I find pork and break mince?
Kylie says
We have it in our local supermarkets, if you can't find it, buy veal mince and pork mince in the equal quantities from a butcher.
Sarah says
Says that these are dairy free but you use eggs?
Kylie says
Eggs aren't a dairy product. You can read about it here:
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dairyfreebasics/f/eggsdairy.htm