Toddler Meal: Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rice Meatballs

September 24, 2009 at 6:56 AM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (5)

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It's hard enough to get toddlers to eat. Then throw in certain food allergies like celiac disease and the limited food choices that come with it, and a mom's job gets about a million times tougher.

So I spotted this recipe for Cinnamon Rice Meatballs in the Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Moms to add to the arsenal of choices. The best part is that five meatballs are only 259 calories and 6 grams of fat, so mama can feel good about munching these, too.

Cinnamon Rice Meatballs

Prep time: 10 mins.

Cook time: 45 mins.

You'll need:

1 small onion

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup + 1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. dried mint flakes

1 tbs. dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 12 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Peel off the outer skin of the onion, and chop the rest into very small pieces.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the onion, ground beef, rice 1/2 cup of water, celery salt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mint and parsley. Mix by hands.

4. With your hands, shape the meat mixture into Ping-Pong sized balls.

5. Place the meatballs in the baking pan.

6. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, 1/2 cup of water, and the tomato sauce. Spool this sauce over the meatballs.

7. Cover the baking pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake 15 minutes longer.

 

Check back next Thursday for another great recipe. Got a favorite toddler friendly meal or snack of your own to share with other idea-strapped mamas? Let me know about it and I may feature it here.

Past Toddler Meals:

Easy Tofu Stir Fry

Cheesy French Toast

Savory Zucchini Pie

Beans with Sausages

Chicken and Apple Sandwiches

Magic Vegetable Soup

Healthy Brown Rice Crispy Treats

Simple Tuna Casserole

4 Smoothies for Picky Eaters

Chicken Georgia

Mini ham and cheese calzones

Penne with Spinach Sauce

Soft Wraps Idea

Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes

Breakfast Pizza

Peanut Noodles and Broccoli

Savory Cheddar Bread

Whatever's-in-the-Fridge Smoothies

Israeli Couscous Salad

Oscar's Gross Green Popsicles

Turkey Burgers with Sneaky Veggies

Red Noodles from the Hillbilly Housewife

Confetti Potatoes

Mini Meatloaves

Alex Guarnaschelli's Homemade Granola

Happy Face Baked Pancakes

Yogurt Fruit Salad

Fruit Salsa With Cinnamon Crisps

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Italian Goulash

Parmesan Risotto

Chicken Sausages

Barbecue Cups

Healthy Ketchup

Cinnamon Raisin Roll-Ups

Hot Dogs with Mashed Potatoes

Leftover Baby Food Idea

FILED UNDER: toddler meal