• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Peaches and Pennies

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact

30-Minute Kale Meatballs

April 3, 2020 by Catherine Tkatch 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

These 30-Minute Kale Meatballs pack extra nutrition into a classic comfort food. Plus, they’re ready in just half an hour, making them perfect for busy weeknights.

A bowl of spaghetti and kale meatballs served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.

I am the kind of person who thrives on a plan. Before I go to the grocery store, I plan out everything we’ll eat for the week and I make a detailed shopping list. I even design my meal plans so that they 1) use up any leftover ingredients I have at home and 2) don’t require me to buy several expensive items in the same week. Call me crazy, but shopping with a good plan is one of the biggest ways my husband and I stick to a grocery budget of $50 per week.

However, these are strange times we’re in right now. It’s been very difficult lately to predict what grocery stores will have in stock. Two weeks ago, I couldn’t get any eggs. Last week, no bananas. Not one to be found. These are challenging times for a person who likes to follow a plan.

In all seriousness though, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to have access to such an enormous variety of food right at my fingertips. Truly, on a normal day, I can buy almost any type of food my heart desires any time I want. I am aware that this is not the case for all people. So, I can stand to be a little more flexible right now.

Kale meatballs and spaghetti served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese

This kale meatball recipe was born when I planned to make spinach meatballs, only to find that the store was completely out of spinach. But I already had the spaghetti in my cart! The ground beef was already defrosting at home! So, I took a deep breath and looked around for an alternative. Lo and behold, there was a full display of kale. If spinach can go in a meatball, surely kale can too.

As it turns out, I like kale meatballs better than spinach meatballs! The kale adds more flavor than spinach, and it’s less watery so the meatballs hold together really well. I think I’ll keep 30-Minute Kale Meatballs in my recipe rotation even when spinach is back in stock.

A bowl of kale meatballs and spaghetti served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese
A bowl of spaghetti and kale meatballs served with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
Print Recipe

30-Minute Kale Meatballs

This recipe combines the comfort of spaghetti and meatballs with the health benefits of dark leafy greens. Plus, it's ready in half an hour!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Kale meatballs, Vegetables in meatballs
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $1.55 per serving

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 cups kale roughly chopped and tightly packed
  • ¼ cup parsley leaves tightly packed
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add the kale and parsley to the food processor and grind into very small pieces. Aim for small specks, but don't go so far as to purée the greens.
  • Mix together all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
    Kale meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl
  • Roll into 1½-inch balls. Place the meatballs, evenly spaced, on the lined baking sheet.
  • Bake the meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.
  • Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the kale and parsley.
  • You can make your own Homemade Bread Crumbs for this recipe!

Filed Under: Dinner

Previous Post: « Orange Creamsicle Smoothies
Next Post: Homemade Bread Crumbs »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Never Ending Journeys

    April 7, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    I never thought to add kale to meatballs – this sounds so delicious!

    Reply
    • Catherine Tkatch

      April 9, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Catherine. I love cooking food, eating food, and saving money in the process. About me >>

Recent Posts

  • Sweet and Salty Pretzel Brownies
  • Barbecue Chicken Avocado Naan Pizza
  • Springtime Lemon Asparagus Orzo
  • Lemon Ginger Poppy Seed Bread
  • Orange Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Corn Salsa

Archives

  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020

Copyright © 2021 Peaches and Pennies on the Foodie Pro Theme