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These mini beef meatballs are quick and easy to cook – either in the oven or in a frying pan – and make wonderful finger food for your weaning baby. Plus, they are packed with iron, the mineral babies are most often deficient in between the ages of 6 and 12 months.

This recipes makes a batch of 20, so you can freeze some. When you want to take them out, simply thaw and reheat in the oven or microwave.

  • 500g minced beef
  • 100g onion, finely chopped
  • 100g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 25g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Pink Lady apple, peeled and grated (approx 150g)
  • 15g unsalted beef stock cube, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or dried thyme)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Plain flour, for coating
  • Oil (vegetable, rapeseed, olive), for baking or frying

    Method

    • step 1

      If you're baking, rather than frying, the meatballs, preheat the oven to 200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.

    • step 2

      Put all the ingredients, apart from the flour and the sunflower oil, into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.

    • step 3

      Use the flour to flour your hands, then take little handfuls of the mixture and roll it into 20 small balls.

    • step 4

      If you're baking the meatballs, put a little oil on a baking sheet. Then roll the balls in the oil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until brown and heated and cooked through.

    • step 5

      Alternatively, heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and sauté the balls for 5 to 8 minutes over a medium heat, until browned and cooked through.

    Pic: Annabel Karmel
    Annabel Karmel's #1 rated recipe app has over 650 simple and delicious ideas – and new recipes every week. It also gives you exclusive access to meal planners, shopping lists, an allergy tracker, and a listen-along weaning guide. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and start your FREE TRIAL.

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