The Best Turkey Meatballs Ever!
We are all trying to eat healthier these days and lean meats go a long way toward achieving that goal. I grabbed some ground turkey not sure what I was going to make with it. I like turkey. It reminds of the holidays, its versatile and its cheap. I decided to make some meatballs, the kids like them and once cooked in Strong Sauce, are perfect. And I was in the mood for a sandwich. One of the great things about Strong Sauce is its subtle cheese flavor. So, you don’t have to add cheese and fat / calories to your recipe for a satisfying experience. I hope you give these a try and enjoy them as much as we do.
A note on nutrition. This dish made with turkey has two grams more protein per serving than with ground beef and 5 grams less fat. Using Strong Sauce compared to regular tomato sauce increases the protein to 3 grams per serving.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of ground turkey.
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 cups plain bread crumbs or panko
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ yellow onion, minced
- 2 stalks of celery, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of dried Italian herbs
- 2 teaspoons of chili flake (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Sautee the onion, celery and garlic in half the olive oil until soft and translucent. While the veggies are slowly cooking, place the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Once the onion mixture is fully cooked, add to the mixing bowl and thoroughly combine everything. Take a small amount of the turkey mixture and fry it in the sauté pan to check for taste. Adjust your seasoning if needed. Now comes the fun part. Roll your meatballs to your desired size. I prefer just slightly larger than golf ball size but you can go as big as you want. It will just take longer to cook. I “cube off my meatballs” so I can get a good sear on all sides. You may prefer to leave the round and bake them in the oven. Either way, you want to make sure to get a good sear on them before adding them to a jar of Strong Sauce in a pot. Add about a cup of water to thin the sauce while the meatballs cook. I think the longer the better but don’t go more than an hour on simmer.
