Spaghetti and meatballs is one of my weakness foods. Just looking at a plate of it makes me drool.
My family is not Italian so I always grew up eating spaghetti with Italian sausage. I had never tried a real, authentic meatball until a few years ago. Of course now I don’t eat pork or beef and needed a solution so that I could still enjoy one of my favorite comfort foods. These lovelies fit the bill!
These are so tasty and you would never know they are healthier with the simple switch of using ground turkey!
Because I’m the only one in my family who doesn’t eat red meat (and my family refuses to give up their pork eating ways), I made a big batch of these meatballs, laid them out on a tray (UNCOOKED), and stuck them in the freezer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Then once they were solid, I tossed them all into a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer so I can use as many as I need whenever I want by just cooking them a little longer!
But if your family is willing to eat healthier meatballs with you, then just bake ‘em all like normal and serve with spaghetti sauce and whole wheat pasta. Your family will be amazed when you surprise them with the fact that they are better for you than normal!
Turkey Meatballs
serves 4-6
1 pound of ground turkey
2 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread (Or gluten-free whole grain bread)
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large bowl, lay down the slices of bread and pour over milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the minced onion and garlic for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add all ingredients to the bowl with soaked bread and combine all ingredients with hands.
4. Roll into tablespoon sized balls and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
♥ These can be made gluten-free by using gluten free bread.
