Cheesy chicken balls

These delicious chicken balls can be served as a party snacks with a toothpick stuck in the middle of each for easy handling. You could also serve them on their own with a salad and healthy oven-roasted potato chips, (just chop potatoes as you would French fries and brush with a little oil before baking on a lightly greased oven tray.)
They can also be served in a rich tomato stew with pasta/white rice or potatoes mashed with a little butter and milk.

Ingredients for the dressing

½ kg minced chicken
2 tbsp finely grated cheese
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
3 large slices salt bread
1 large egg 1 large onion
1 chicken stock cube
1 clove garlic
1½ tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp oil
Oil for greasing
A pinch salt
An oven tray

Method

1. Grease the oven tray with a little oil and put aside.
2. Finely chop the onion and finely grate the garlic. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and continue frying until golden. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Mix ½ tsp tomato paste with the tomato Ketchup and put aside.
4. Break the bread into small pieces and soak in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk, discard and put the bread aside.
5. Beat the egg and put in a large bowl with the chicken, bread, onion and garlic mixture, 1 tbsp tomato paste, coriander, grated cheese, crumbled up chicken stock cube and a pinch of salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
6. Form the mixture into 12-14 balls and place them on the oven tray. Spread a little of the ketchup mixture on top of each ball with the back of a teaspoon.
7. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 10 mins to heat up, then put the chicken balls in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins or until thoroughly cooked.

For hot and spicy balls
• Add 1-2 very finely chopped green chilies to the chicken mixture and mix in the bowl with the other ingredients.