The Lakes Kitchen

This Dinosaur Egg Meatball recipe is a quick and simple way to make meatballs using only 4 ingredients.  The massive size of these ground beef meatballs, along with the name, make this an especially fun lunch or dinner for kids.  I’ve been making these meatballs for my son since he was 3.  He still enjoys eating these now that he is 11, whether I call them dinosaur eggs or not.  My toddler daughters enjoy a serving of one meatball over spaghetti, topped with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.  It is truly an easy and fast meatball recipe for the whole family, but adding a dinosaur figurine alongside the dish makes it all the more fun for a young child.

Method:

First, combine the ground beef, egg, dried oregano, and bread crumbs.

Next, mix the 4 ingredients together.

Then, once the ingredients are mixed, roll them into one huge ball.

Then, slice the meatball in half, and then half again to make fourths.

Once the ground beef mixture is into approximately 4 equal parts, round each section into a ball (I used my hands), and place them into a baking dish.  I make 4 “Dinosaur Eggs” with one pound of ground beef.  Ground turkey works also.

In the center of the oven, bake for 25 – 30 minutes  at 425 degrees until the meatballs are cooked through.

You can serve the meatballs on cooked spaghetti and top with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.

Place a dinosaur figurine nearby for fun, and watch your child eat in delight as they enjoy eating a “Dinosaur Egg Meatball” for a healthy and nutritious lunch or dinner.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef (you can also use ground turkey for an even healthier version)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Place all 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine the ingredients.
2. Form a ball with the ground beef.
3. Cut the ball into fourths so that you have 4 equal parts.
4. Roll each fourth of ground beef into balls (you will have 4 “Dinosaur Egg Meatballs” per pound of ground beef or turkey)
5. Place each meatball in a baking dish.
6. Bake the meatballs in the oven at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until each one is cooked all the way through.
7. Serve the meatballs on a plate of spaghetti with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.

***Optional – Add a cute dinosaur figurine for lunch or dinnertime fun.   

I hope you enjoy these as much as my kids have!

This is a quick and easy recipe for a healthy and flavorful tortilla soup.  It isn’t spicy, so kids love this, and they enjoy choosing their own toppings to put on their bowl of soup.  To make it spicier, you can add hot sauce when combining the ingredients.  You can add cheese, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips as toppings to name a few.

Method:

First, brown the ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic until the ground beef is cooked.

Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, spices, beans and vegetables (I used frozen vegetables).

Then, bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to the low setting on the stove.  Let this simmer for 20 minutes.

When the vegetables are warm, serve the soup into bowls.  You can add sour cream, cheese, crushed tortilla chips or any other toppings.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups or 32 ounces of chicken broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce
• 1 clove of garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon of garlic minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 can (16 ounces) of kidney beans drained
• 2 cups of frozen corn
• 1 cup of frozen broccoli
• ** optional – salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet or pot until the ground beef is cooked.
2. Add the chicken broth, spices, tomato sauce, beans, and frozen vegetables to the pan.  It is optional to sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir to mix, and bring to a boil.  Then, let it simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls.  You can add cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips or any other toppings for garnish.

This is such a simple and delicious pasta, and it requires only minimal ingredients.  You can use any kind of pasta with this recipe, and cook it according to the package directions.  I used a spiral pasta, but you can use anything that you have on hand.  Using fresh basil gives it a flavorful and refreshing taste.

Method:

First, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, slice the tomatoes and fresh basil.  You can always add more to taste.

When the pasta is ready and drained, return it to the pan.   Measure the butter.  Melt the butter and add it to the pasta.  If the pasta and pan are still warm, you can add the butter to the pan and toss it coat.

Measure the ricotta cheese, then add it to the noodle mixture.

Add in the chopped fresh basil leaves and the freshly chopped tomatoes.

Measure the parmesan cheese, and the add that to the noddle mixture also.

Toss and serve warm. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (1 pound) of pasta
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tomatoes chopped (you can use more or less to taste)
• 1 bunch of fresh basil (at least 5-6 tablespoons chopped)

Directions:

1.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain it and return the pasta to the pan.
2. Measure and melt butter to coat the pasta.
3. Measure the ricotta cheese and add it to the pasta
4. Slice the tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, then add them to the pasta.
5. Measure the Parmesan cheese and toss in the pasta.
6. Toss and serve warm.  Enjoy!