Turkey Meatballs
Homemade meatballs are simple and tasty and always nice to have on hand for a quick weeknight meal. I like to make a double batch and freeze half, so we have them for another dinner. Using ground turkey is a healthy alternative since its lean and low in fat. Simmer them in fresh pasta sauce and serve over al dente pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan and fresh basil and YUM!
Using fresh ingredients, including fresh herbs is key to keeping your meatballs moist. A lot of recipes call for an egg, I dont use it, because frankly I don't think it needs it. Turkey is pretty dense meat as it is, so its already binding. The bread crumbs will help to keep them from falling apart. The caramelized onions and garlic will help to keep them nice and moist.
Start by sauteeing onions and garlic in some olive oil. Once they start turning that beautiful golden color, throw in half of the chopped parsley. Reserve the other half to put in fresh.
Once the onions are done, mix them in with the turkey.
Bread crumbs, SplenDishes House Blend and the remaining fresh parsley are next to go in. For a little extra kick, toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes.
I like to use an ice cream scooper so the balls are relatively the same size.
Place them all on the baking dish and then roll them smooth with your hands. I also use a silipat which is a silicon baking mat. Its great for non-sticking and a lot easier to clean.
Ready to go in the oven. You only want to partially cook these, so put them in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They'll finish cooking in the pasta sauce.
Since there are only 2 and half pint of us eating, I like to freeze half the batch for later. I freeze them before cooking because I think they stay fresher that way. When your ready to use them, just pull them out the morning of (or the night before) and they'll be defrosted in time for dinner. Bake them like you would normal at 375 degrees.
They will be nice and golden on the bottom. If your not putting them in a sauce, then you can turn them and bake another 10 minutes.
Toss the meatballs into the pasta sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes and your ready to serve!
See Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe under "Effortless Entrees".
RECIPE
TURKEY MEATBALLS
|
Prep Time: 20 Minutes |
Cook Time: 25 Minutes |
Difficulty: Easy |
Servings: 24 Meatballs |
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons SplenDishes House Blend
Directions:
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until lightly golden. Add half chopped parsley and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Stir into ground turkey. Add bread crumbs, House Blend and remaining parsley and stir well just to combine.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop uniform size balls out onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat (or parchment paper).
Roll balls with both hands and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until sauce is ready.
If your not using in sauce, then turn meatballs over and bake another 10 minutes.
Place meatballs in prepared pasta sauce and simmer with lid on for about 15 minutes.
Serve over pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese and basil.
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