Sneaky Veggies: Veggie-Loaded Turkey Bites

Recipe By: @athomewithastghik 

If you’re looking to add more veggies to your meal, you have got to try these Turkey Bites. It’s a nutritious meal the entire family can enjoy. Small patties or bite-size pieces can be made from the meat mixture. Also great as a sandwich, hamburger, or deconstructed.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup roughly diced carrots (washed, peeled, ends cut off)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers (washed, seeds removed)
• 1/2 cup diced broccoli (washed)
• 1 cup quartered Cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms (cleaned)
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil 
• 1 cup small diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups cubed bread ( dice about 2 slices of bread into cubes and measure 2 cups) 
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 pound thawed ground turkey, 93% Lean 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup cilantro or parsley, finely diced. (washed and patted dry).
• 1 cup spinach or 1 kale, finely diced (washed and patted dry)

Method:

✦ Preheat the oven to 400F

✦ Wash and prep the veggies.

✦ Add the carrots, red bell peppers, and broccoli to a food processor and blend until they’re mostly broken down into small pieces. Add the mushrooms and pulse a few times until they are broken down into small pieces. Set it aside. 

✦ To a skillet, add the oil and allow it to get hot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until it’s soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds. Add the veggies from the food processor and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the veggies have given off their liquid and the liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the skillet (for about 6 minutes)-while mixing a few times.

✦ Turn the heat off and set it aside while we prepare the rest of the ingredients 

✦ Add 2 cups of cubed bread to a bowl and add the milk. Break the bread up with your fingers and allow it to soak in the milk for 5 minutes.

✦ To the soaked bread, add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, cilantro, spinach, and the cooled sautéed veggies. 

✦ May form into small patties or small bites. 

🔴 Disclaimer for handling raw turkey: When handling raw poultry, please make sure to wash your hands well, and clean any objects (like knives, cutting boards, etc.) or surfaces that the turkey piece(s) has touched to prevent cross-contamination.

For bites:

• scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the palm of your hand.
• Form them into round bites and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until the meat has cooked through.

For small patties:

• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop some of the mixture into the palm of your hand.
• Form round disc-like patties and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake 15 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until the meat has cooked through.

✦ Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with ranch dressing, ketchup, or your favorite dip/side!

Bites pictured are served in sandwich form with bread and on their own. Along with oven-baked potatoes, oranges, cucumbers, quartered grape tomatoes, ranch dressing, and ketchup.