High in protein, this lean meat contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. So, this recipe is not only great for new parents, but toddlers too, and it’s a great one to batch cook as it freezes so well.
Serves: 4 | Suitable for new parent and from 12 months | Allergens: oats | Not suitable for freezing | Preparation: 30 minutes | Cooking: 5 hours
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10 Portions
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5 hours mins
prep time -
10 mins
Cook time -
suitable for freezing
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V
Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 Piccolo chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 600g tomato passata
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- Pinch paprika
- 1 tsp honey or redcurrant jelly
- For the meatballs
- 400g lean minced turkey
- 4 tbsp porridge oats
- Pinch paprika
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- Salt and pepper to season
- Make this baby friendly: remove the salt from the recipe and use redcurrant jelly rather than honey to make this suitable from 6 months
Method
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and fry gently for a minute. Pour in the passata, herbs and the crumbled stock cube and stir, then transfer the lot to the slow cooker.
- To make the meatballs, tip the mince into a large bowl. Add the oats, paprika, garlic and plenty of black pepper, and mix everything together with your hands. Divide the mixture into 20 lumps about the size of a walnut and roll each piece into a meatball. Spray or run a non-stick pan with a little oil and fry on a medium heat until browned all over, remove as cooked and add to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over rice or pasta if you like, or with a green salad.
