Sheet pan beef & zucchini meatballs with maple-lemon Brussels sprouts & sweet potatoes

SAN ANTONIO – Need dinner plans? You can make this meal on a single sheet pan. Easy clean-up!

Beef Loving Texans says this recipe is ideal for a weeknight. Squeezing the zucchini to remove excess liquid is an important step (and a good cook’s trick) for ensuring the meatballs hold together well.

Check out more recipes from Beef Loving Texans here.

Sheet Pan Beef & Zucchini Meatballs with Maple-Lemon Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 medium sweet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds total), each halved lengthwise and cut into wedges or cubes
• Olive oil spray
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika
• 1 egg
• 1 medium zucchini (about 6 ounces), shredded and squeezed firmly to remove as much liquid as possible
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and generously spray with oil. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer, spray with oil, season all over with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and paprika, and roast in the bottom third of the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, zucchini, parmesan, mustard, egg, and sage until well combined, and then shape the mixture into 16 meatballs. In a second medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with lemon juice, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and a spray of olive oil.

Cooking Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

Flip sweet potatoes and nudge them to one half of the sheet pan, crowding them up a bit, if needed. Arrange meatballs on the other half of the sheet tray, and scatter Brussels sprouts around them, drizzling over any leftover juices in the bowl.

Roast in the bottom third of the oven for 10 minutes, then move the sheet pan to the top third of the oven and cook until sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts are tender and golden brown, and meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Arrange the meal on plates, sprinkle parsley over the top and serve.