Ground Turkey Meatballs

Ground Turkey is a great & healthy substitute for dishes that ask for red meat. I love using turkey for burgers, tacos, soups and of course...Meatballs!

What You Will Need: Ground Turkey, Onion, Garlic, Egg, Parsley, Sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan Cheese, Corn Meal, Roasted Bell Pepper/Jalapeno, Salt and Pepper. 

Start by adding diced onions and garlic to the ground turkey 

2 T. of Sun-dried Tomatoes. Just run your knife through them a couple times and add them to the mix

Chop up a big handful of fresh parsley

::Ahhh....Charred Peppers are just Beautiful:: Dice them up & toss in

Ok, lets recap....we got the onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and parsley in the bowl...Check, Check!!

Give a good sprinkle of the Parmesan Cheese, crack in 1 Egg, Salt & Pepper

Add the corn meal and mix...I would go about a 1/4 c. at a time

Mix well....your looking for a firm texture...form a ball and see if it holds together well. If it seems soft or loose, add some more corn meal.

Once you have your mixture, place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This allows the flavors to get all cozy with the meat and it also will make it easier to form if its chilled. 

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Tip: Any time you are making meatballs or meatloaf...taste your mixture to check for seasoning before cooking the whole thing. (No, Im not saying eat the raw meat mixture!!) Take a small amount of the meat and give it a quick sear in a hot pan. Allow to cool, check your flavor & adjust if necessary.

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Form to desired size. 

Put a small amount of stock or water in the bottom of the pan, then top with a dollop of tomato sauce.

Bake in a 400 degree oven. Your cooking time will depend on the size. I formed 'golf ball' size and they baked for about 15-20 minutes. You want the internal temp of be 165.

If you are unsure if they are cooked & don't have a thermometer, take one out and cut in half. Keep in mind that you always want to count on 'carry over cooking'....((when food retains heat and continues to cook even after being removed from the source of heat.)) So if they look done or close to, pull them out.

Once they are done, allow them to rest for a couple minutes, then plate as desired.

They were wonderful over some roasted spaghetti squash with some fresh basil on top!

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Optional Usage: Like I mentioned before, these are great as an appetizer...awesome as the mini meatballs in soups like Italian Wedding Soup. The mixture is good to use as your meat sauce in spaghetti, make italian meatball subs, meatloaf or use the mix for a flavorful, healthy lettuce wrap! 

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Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!