Hellobee Boards

I have Tupperwares of little stuff in the fridge at all times. Cut up fruit, chopped up meatballs (ground meat is easier for littles to chew and swallow) or chicken sausage (the kind with no tough casing), boiled soft carrots and broccoli in bite size pieces, peas and carrots from the freezer section thawed, canned green beans (they are softer), mac n cheese that I cook and refrigerate - it clumps better after it cools so they can pinch up bites - or just macaroni tossed in butter and parmesan cheese. DS also liked to hold and suck on fries or sweet potato fries.

Frozen veggies (right now we do peas and corn), slow cooker meat, black beans, any fruit or veggie steamed.

Our nanny has no problem making some simple foods like eggs or cutting up and microwaving fruit and veggies so they are gummable so you may just ask what she's comfortable preparing

Our kids just ate leftovers of whatever we ate. A little spicy didn't even matter. For DS1, we lightly puréed whatever we are for dinner so it wasn't as hard to eat but still chunky. We probably started that at 7 months? Eventually, he ate it whole. For DS2, he boycotted purees around 7-8 months and went straight to our table food - anything we ate. He didn't even have teeth but I cut it up small and he ate it fine.

At that age, they weren't picky and literally ste whatever we did. I would sometimes have sausage or meatballs handy in case we ate fast food.

Here are some things that were popular in my house, all of which survive being frozen/reheated:

Cheesy lentil wedges
8 oz red lentils
3/4 pint water
1 large onion
1 oz butter
4 oz grated cheese
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 egg
1 oz breadcrumbs
salt & pepper – for adults!!
Cook the lentils in the water until soft, and all the liquid is absorbed
Chop the onion finely and fry in the butter until soft.
Combine all the ingredients and press into an oiled 9″ tin.
Bake at 375 for around 30 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly then cut into wedges

Turkey meatballs:

1 egg
1/2 cup jarred or homemade applesauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir together the egg, applesauce, sweet potato, green onions, salt, and pepper.

2. In a large bowl combine turkey and bread crumbs. Fold egg mixture into turkey mixture; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. (This step is important for the bread crumbs to absorb moisture and flavor.)

3. Heat oven to 450°F. Shape turkey mixture in 1-inch diameter balls. Place meatballs on a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until no pink remains (170°F).

4. Serve meatballs with spaghetti and sauce or as a pizza topper.

5. For easy shaping, turn the turkey mixture onto waxed paper. Pat it into a 9×8-inch rectangle, then cut 36 equal-size squares. Roll the squares into balls. Or shape meatballs by using a small cookie scoop, occasionally dipping the scoop in water to prevent the meat from sticking.

Egg and cheese mini muffins:
•6 large eggs
•3 tablespoons whole milk
•½ teaspoon salt (NOTE: some folks have commented that the addition of the salt makes these too salty, so feel free to omit it or decrease the amount!)
•⅛ teaspoon pepper
•⅓ cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray miniature muffin pan with cooking spray.
2.In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
3.Pour egg mixture into prepared pan, filling cups about ⅔ full.
4.Sprinkle cheese evenly among the cups. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until eggs set.
5.Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. When completely cooled, muffins can be wrapped in plastic and frozen.
6.When ready to eat, simply microwave each mini muffin for 15-30 seconds, or until heated through.

Broccoli cheese bites:
16 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained of liquid (I used fresh steamed broccoli)
1 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs
salt & pepper
1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

With your hands, form small patties and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet.