Kid’s Sweet Soy Meatballs & Buttery Rice + Snack: Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites with Peachy Yogurt Dipper
Does planning, cooking, and packing kids’ lunches + snacks feel like a part-time (or full-time) job? We feel you, and we’re here to help. This 15-minute lunch (+ 15 minute snack) is the perfect make-ahead lunchbox time-saver: a kid-approved saucy meatball and rice bowl complete with cucumber, orange slices, and grapes—to stay or to go! But that’s not all—it’ll be snack time before you know it! Serve up buttery cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites with a peachy yogurt dipping sauce. That’s right: We’re thinking outside the lunchbox (so you don’t have to!). This recipe is designed to provide lunch and snack components for multiple days. For each lunch and snack meal, 3 servings and 6 servings are provided for a 2 person and 4 person box respectively. Nutrition information under the Nutrition Values section below is for the lunch portion. The following nutrition information is for 1 serving of the snack meal: Calories: 290, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 20 mg, Sodium: 330 mg, Carbohydrates: 40g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Protein: 5g. Download the nutrition labels to see final nutrition information for both lunch and snack components.
Ingredients
- 1 mini cucumber
- 1 orange
- 2.25 oz red grapes
- 8 oz fully cooked beef meatballs
- 4 tbsp sweet soy glaze
- 1 microwavable rice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 6 oz pretzel bites
- 6 tbsp yogurt
- 1 peach jam
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
- • Wash and dry produce.
• Thinly slice cucumber into rounds.
Halve orange; slice crosswise into
½-inch-thick half-moons. Halve grapes
if desired. - • Halve meatballs. Heat a drizzle of oil
in a large, preferably nonstick, pan
over medium heat. Add meatballs
and cook, turning occasionally, until
warmed through and lightly browned,
4-5 minutes.
• Drizzle sweet soy glaze over meatballs;
stir to coat. Cook until sauce is warmed
through, about 30 seconds. Remove
from heat. - • While meatballs cook, massage rice in
package to break up grains; snip
to partially open. Microwave for
90 seconds. Add 1 TBSP butter
(2 TBSP for 6 servings). Fluff with a
fork until butter melts; season with
salt and pepper. - • To serve: Divide rice between plates;
top with saucy meatballs and serve
with cucumber rounds, orange slices,
and grapes on the side.
• To stash: Let meatballs and rice cool
completely. Refrigerate meatballs, rice,
cucumber rounds, orange slices, and
grapes in separate containers and pack
as desired for lunch! - • Adjust rack to middle position. Preheat
oven to 350 degrees.
• Place 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for
6 servings) in a large microwave-safe
bowl. Microwave until butter melts,
30-45 seconds. Add 2 tsp sugar (3 tsp
for 6) and ½ tsp cinnamon (¾ tsp for 6)
to same bowl; whisk to combine.
• Add pretzel bites to bowl with
cinnamon-sugar butter; toss to
evenly coat.
• Spread out coated pretzel bites in a
single layer on a baking sheet (drizzle
any remaining cinnamon-sugar butter
over top). Bake on middle rack until
lightly glazed and warmed through,
6-8 minutes. - • Meanwhile, in a small bowl,
whisk together yogurt and jam
until combined.
• Serve cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites
with peachy yogurt dipper.
• To store: Keep pretzel bites in an
airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerate peachy yogurt dipper in a
separate airtight container.