As you know, I’m all about sneaking those veggies in whenever possible! So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered another vehicle to eat vegetables last week: mini meatballs. Not only am I a veggie fanatic, I’m also a mini food fanatic. Bite size things are just so cute, and make eating more enjoyable for some reason! Anyone with me?!

These Mini Fennel and Apple Turkey Meatballs are an easy appetizer, and can even be prepared for meal prep. Dunk ’em in a yummy sauce (I used a tomato sauce) or throw them on salads, vegetable noodles, or pasta for a meal.

Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve used fennel to create something for the blog. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this vegetable, it has a slight licorice taste, and almost every part of the plant is edible! Most recipes use the fennel bulb or fennel seeds, but you can also chop the fennel leaves to add decoration or flavor. They look just like dill, but they are definitely different!

If you aren’t a fan of licorice (like me), don’t let that scare you away from trying fennel! The taste is not strong, and adds a light flavor to dishes. Adding something sweet, like apples, complements the flavor and creates a delicious profile.

The final product of my experimentation with fennel, these Mini Fennel and Apple Turkey Meatballs, are delicate, delicious and nutritious. AND they’re so easy! Simply add shredded fennel and apple to ground turkey, dump in a few seasonings, stir, roll, and bake for less than 20 minutes.

If I had to vote, I’d say to try them out as an appetizer, because dunking them is so fun!!!

📖 Recipe

Mini Fennel and Apple Turkey Meatballs

These mini meatballs are a great appetizer and an easy way to include a new vegetable. Serve with a dip, such as tomato sauce, or over pasta or salad. Suitable for gluten-free diets.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 16

Total Time: 31

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 53kcal

Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound ground turkey
▢ 1 large apple - grated (about ½ cup)
▢ ½ cup fennel - grated (use the bulb)
▢ 1 teaspoon oregano - dried
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, fennel, apple, and seasonings. Mix until well combined.
Roll into 12 meatballs, and place on the baking sheet. You may also choose to roll smaller meatballs to serve a bigger crowd. In this case, you may need to keep a closer eye on them in the oven and decrease the cooking time as needed.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until meatballs are baked through. Enjoy with a dip of your choice, such as tomato sauce!