If you haven’t made our Fussy Eaters: Apricot Chicken Balls Recipe, it’s time to try this winner, winner chicken dinner.
Apricot and chicken is a match made in heaven. Even the fussiest eaters will find it hard to resist the crunchy coating and sweet chicken flavour.
When apricots are in season they are highly affordable and have great nutritional properties. They contain vitamins A and C, minerals such as potassium and manganese, and dietary fibre. In Australia, apricots are at their peak between November and January. They can also provide the sweetness that fussy eater seeks out in their meals without resorting to unnecessary sugar.
Ready to try this new family fave? Well, take a warning from us. You might however want to make a second batch as these little roly polys will not last long. It’s not easy to find gluten free recipes that fussy eaters will enjoy but this one is always a hit in our house!
Fussy Eaters: Gluten Free Apricot Chicken Balls
Ingredients – Fussy Eaters: Gluten Free Apricot Chicken Balls
- 1¼ cups salt reduced cornflakes* (we used gluten free)
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 free range chicken thighs
- ½ cup chopped sweet potato
- 10 dried apricots, halved
*Note: regular cornflakes are high in salt and contain gluten
Method – Fussy Eaters: Gluten Free Apricot Chicken Balls
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 2 – In a small saucepan bring 1 cup of water to the boil. Add the sweet potato and boil for around 3 minutes, or until tender.
Step 3 – In the meantime, using a food processor, process the chicken until well minced. Add the sweet potato, apricots and 1/4 cup of the cornflakes and blend until well combined. Roll tablespoon sized balls of chicken mixture.
Step 4 – Crush the remaining 1 cup of cornflakes, add the coconut and parmesan and mix in a shallow bowl. Dip each ball into the egg and then roll in the cornflakes mixture.
Step 5 – Bake the balls for around 30 minutes, or until the chicken in cooked through and the crumbs are golden.
Allie designed this Fussy Eaters: Gluten Free Apricot Chicken Balls recipe. She is from OneHandedCooks is a full time mum and knows what it is like to never have two hands free at any one time. Her website is full of easy to make, delicious recipes which still allow you enough time to wipe a nose, give a cuddle or feed a hungry child. She welcomes comments and your recipes so please feel free to email her, or find her on facebook and twitter. To see all of the OneHandedCooks recipes, click here.
Looking for a traditional apricot chicken recipe? Find it here with 10 Quick & Easy Family Dinner Ideas.
If you’re dealing with fussy eaters, here’s some extra tips you might like to read:
- Fussy Eaters Toddlers – Parents Share their Tips
- Encouraging Fussy Eaters
- Why Some People Suggest Avoid Hidden Vegetables
- If your child takes to this recipe you might also like to try Apricot Coconut Snack Balls or Fruity Oat Biscuits
Raising Children provides expert tips for helping picky eaters – have you tried these?
- Make mealtimes happy, regular and social occasions. Try not to worry about spilled drinks or food on the floor.
- Start small. For example, start by asking your child to lick a piece of food, and work up to trying a mouthful. And praise your child for these small attempts.
- Never force your child to try a food. He’ll have lots of other opportunities to try new foods.
- If your child is fussing about food, ignore it as much as you can. Giving fussy eating lots of attention can sometimes encourage children to keep behaving this way.
- Make healthy foods fun – for example, cut sandwiches into interesting shapes, or let your child help prepare a salad or whisk eggs for an omelette.
- Turn the TV off so your family members can talk to each other instead.
- Set a time limit of about 20 minutes for meals. Anything that goes on too long isn’t fun. If your child hasn’t eaten the food in this time, take it away and don’t offer your child more food until the next planned meal or snack time.
