The Cool Dads firmly believe that if you involve kids in the actual cooking process, they have ownership in the meal, and they're more likely to eat and enjoy. We try to provide you with meals kids can help to prepare, and will enjoy.
This past week the Wisconsin test kitchen decided to try a brand new meatball recipe, paired with tried and tested mashed "potatoes". We'll start with the meatballs.
Melt in Your Mouth Meatballs
2lbs ground meat (we used pork, because it's what we had in the freezer. A combination of beef or pork would work well. Chicken would even work)
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4oz shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add all ingredients to stand mixer, and use paddle attachment to combine. We usually recommend using your hands to combine ingredients for meatballs or meatloaf, but you really need to get the cream cheese mixed in well- hence the need for a stand mixer.
Yeah, that's a Dexter apron. Got a problem with that? Cool Dads wear aprons- especially when cooking with raw meat.
Once the meatball mixture is well combined, roll into 1" balls. This recipe yields approximately 30 meatballs. We actually froze half of the meatballs to use for another dinner in a few weeks.
Your finished product should look something like this:
Note from the kitchen. See how this cookie sheet doesn't have edges on it? Yeah... don't make the same mistake we did. Please, please, for the love of all that's holy: USE A COOKIE SHEET THAT HAS EDGES ON IT! Otherwise you end up with a stove filled with grease, and a smoked out kitchen. Wives don't appreciate either of these things... just saying.
Once the meatballs are prepared, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. They should look something like this...
While the meatloaf is cooking, you can prepare the mashed "potatoes". Why the quotes? Well, it's not actually potatoes- it's cauliflower. If made correctly, cauliflower is a passable substitute for mashed potatoes- except healthier. It's a great way to sneak some vegetables into your kids diet. The secret to this recipe is the addition of one potato- it gives a little bit of starchy texture, and the end product isn't overly grainy.
Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Puree
1 head cauliflower, cut info florets
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (the original recipe calls for sour cream, but we pretty much use Greek yogurt for everything in our test kitchen).
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
You can go one of two routes with steaming the potato and cauliflower: either use boiling water on the stove and a steamer basket, or put the cauliflower and potato in a large, microwave safe bowl with two inches of water, and steam for about 7-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are extremely tender (but not mushy).
Once they are steamed, you can either mash them with a potato masher, or put them in a food processor for a smoother texture. We went the food processor route.
Once the vegetables are mashed, processed, or pureed, combine with the yogurt, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Serve warm.
So other than the smoked out kitchen, how was dinner? I think the pictures speak for themselves.
Yes, that's Sawyer chowing down on meatballs, green beans and cauliflower puree. At last count, she ate five of the meatballs, and was already wondering when we could make them for dinner again. If that's not a successful family dinner, I don't know what is.
The meatballs were delicious- they were juicy and literally melted in your mouth. We served them with marinara sauce, but they were delicious plain as well. The puree was great without any extra butter, and partnered well with the meatballs. There was a serious food coma in the Wisconsin test kitchen after this meal, let me tell you.
We look forward to sharing more family friendly recipes with you soon!
Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew
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