Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Toddler Tuesdays: Cheesy Sweet Potato Nuggets


It's been a few weeks since my latest Toddler Tuesdays post! But here we are again!

If you read my blog regularly you'll remember in my March re-make recap post that I mentioned Landon's been on a hunger strike. Since March 14. Yes, I'm keeping track. He BARELY eats lately, which is an issue since he's already being monitored by a team of specialists for his lack of growth. I am constantly trying to find foods he'll eat. One of the few foods I can usually get in him is sweet potatoes. And cheese. Sometimes lots of cheese. Sometimes none. It's a fun game we're playing! But anyway, I knew I needed to make something that would entice him so I decided to make some type of breaded sweet potatoes. I took his favorite food (sweet potatoes mashed with butter and milk), added cheese, and breaded it. Voila! Recipe for toddler success. It took 15 minutes from start to finish to make these and it's much healthier than anything you can find in the freezer. Try these- you and your tots will love them.

Side note- you could bake these. I fried them because Landon is under strict orders to gain weight. If you want a healthier option, bake them until golden. You could also make large batches and freeze them after frying/baking for later use.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1 large sweet potato, cooked and peeled
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
1- In a large skillet heat the oil (enough to cover the bottom of a pan).
2- In a bowl mix the hot sweet potato, milk, and butter. Mash with a fork until evenly combined. Add in the cheese. Stir well.
3- Take bite sized portions of the potato and roll into balls. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs and place on a dish.
4- Once all nuggets are formed place the balls in the oil, cook until browned. 

14 comments:

  1. Oh wow... are these appropriate for 24 year olds too? Cos I would looove these! :)

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    Replies
    1. YUP! LOL! I love toddler food- nuggets/mac and cheese/etc.

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  2. Is it weird that I don't have a toddler, yet I want to make all of these toddler foods for me. They look so good! :)

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  3. These look good! Sorry Landon is on a strike - I know how stressful it is to worry that your baby isn't eating enough and to get the word from the pedi to make changes! (We had to use iron drops for about 6 months)

    I add cooked red lentils to the sweet potatoes (for a nutritional boost) and either bake or fry. I also add oregano and/or garlic powder for a flavor changer!

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  4. What would you recommend for baking temp/time?

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    1. Hmm... I didn't try it, but I'd do 375 for 20 minutes. I'd spray them with Olive Oil Spray before baking so they crisp up.

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  5. I made these last night and they all fell apart. :( I'm wondering what I did wrong or if the recipe needs a binder of some sort, maybe some flour or cornstarch. The "batter" was very wet after I mashed the sweet potato with the butter, milk and cheese so it just didn't hold together. Any thoughts? I really want to make these again - we salvaged a few pieces and loved the flavor.

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    Replies
    1. I think you could add a binder for sure- some egg would work! I didn't add egg bc he's allergic. Mine weren't very wet at all- it could have to do with the size of the potato compared to the other ingredients. Mine was LARGE so the other ingredients didn't make it wet.

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    2. I had the same issue. I even reduced the milk by half. I think maybe next time I will replace the milk completely with an egg. Regardless, they are still yummy (even if they are a bit messy)!

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  6. I'll try again and add some sort of binder. My sweet potato was also massive, like over a pound, and was wet even before I added the ingredients. I'll play around with it. :)

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  7. Do you think this would work with leftover baby food purees?

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