Meatballs, a favorite food in this home. As I searched for the best recipe for the family, I learned that meatballs can be versatile and save me during meal planning for the week. Many cultures have their version of a meatball. The Spanish have albondigas, South Africa skilpedjies, Dutch bitterballen, Middle Eastern kofta, and Chinese wan zi and the list goes on. All this time, I thought meatballs were only eaten with spaghetti, but take it out of the marinara sauce and add it to a bowl with rice, black beans, guacamole, and salsa and we have a delicious Mexican bowl.

After months of testing different recipes and taking into consideration family preferences, I finally found it. I modified a recipe by Smitten Kitchen because it was close to perfect for us and I loved how she cooked the meatballs in the sauce making it an easy weeknight recipe with one less pot to clean. I took it a step further by including an additional cooking method for the meatballs. During busy weeks, I like to double the recipe and cook the meatballs in the oven. This way, I have plenty for another meal the next day.

Scrumptious Turkey Meatballs

Easy week night recipe. You can certainly use a homemade sauce, but I use a jar sauce to make the recipe easy and fast. Recipe includes instructions for 2 cooking methods, in case you want to double the recipe and bake in the oven

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese finely grated
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• black pepper few grinds
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 large egg whisked
• 2 garlic cloves pressed or minced
• 1-2 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Instructions

 

• Place meat, panko bread crumbs, milk, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, whisked egg, and garlic in a large bowl. Mix together with a fork, to incorporate all the ingredients.
• Form mixture into 1 1/2 – 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a plate

Cooked in Marinara Sauce:

• Heat marinara sauce until warmed through on low heat. Gently drop meatballs in the sauce and cover to cook. Do your best not to touch the meatballs for 20 minutes of the 25-minute cooking time, so they maintain their shape. Meatballs should be fully cooked through at 25 minutes, but it’s always wise to cut one in half to check.

Baked in oven:

• Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lightly brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake meatballs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turning meatballs at the halfway mark.

Notes

Serving Suggestion and Tips:

• Marinara recipe – served over spaghetti, or as is with a salad and garlic bread, or in a meatball sandwich
• Baked in the oven – serve with a side of pesto pasta (my kids fave), serve in a Swedish meatball sauce over mashed potatoes or egg noodles (We enjoy this non-dairy recipe by 40 Aprons
• Double the recipe and bake in the oven – When I double the recipe I bake in the oven, so I do not have to be tied to the stove cooking the meatballs in a pan. Use leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day to make your favorite bowl.

Keyword easy recipe, Lowfat, Meatballs,