Nothing goes better with spaghetti sauce than meatballs. It’s even better if said meatballs are Florentine Turkey Meatballs! These are so scrumptious that you might want to double this recipe so you will have leftovers. And it is a great way to introduce more veggies into your children’s meals. My kids didn’t complain at the site of spinach or sun-dried tomatoes because they were too busy devouring them.
Florentine Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. of ground turkey (you could use any ground meat, but I prefer ground turkey)
- 5 (approx.) diced sun-dried tomatoes (you will want the ones packed in the jar with oil for this recipe)
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach chopped (more or less if you’d prefer)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c. of milk
- 1 1/2 c. of Italian breadcrumbs (1 c. to mix in, 1/2 c. to roll the meatballs in)
- 1/2 of an onion, grated (grate over the mixing bowl)
- 1/2 – 1 c. of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
- Splash of white wine
- 1/4 – 1/2 c. of chicken stock
- Zest of 1 lemon
*As always, my measurements are an estimate. Since we aren’t baking a cake, you don’t need to worry about being too precise.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Put roughly 1/2 c. of italian breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl to roll the meatballs in before placing in the pan (easier to do this first, before your hands are all gunky).
Chop your spinach, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
Get a large mixing bowl out and add in your ground turkey, garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, breadcrumbs (1 c.), grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Grate 1/2 an onion over the meat mixture, you could certainly chop the onion, but I think this is better for the overall texture of the meatball.
In a small bowl beat one egg with a splash or two of milk and add to the meat mixture.
Preheat an oven safe pot to medium-high, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I actually used my risotto pot, but any shallow sauce pan will do, you need to be able to brown them for a few minutes and then transfer them to the oven covered.
GENTLY combine the meat mixture and form into approximately 1-inch balls – you will get roughly 18-20 from this recipe.
Pass each meatball through the breadcrumbs you set aside earlier and then place them in the heated pan. Brown them on all sides (this isn’t an exact science) for about 3-5 min.
Add a splash of wine to the pan for flavor, let that cook down for a minute then add in about 1/4 c. of chicken stock, just make sure it’s enough to come about 1/2 way up the meatballs.
Cover and transfer the pot to the oven for 15 min, uncover for the last 5 minutes.
When they come out of the oven, zest a lemon over the pan and add in some grated parmesan.
The sauce that results in cooking meatballs this way is delicious on its own over pasta or with risotto – or even a great piece of crusty bread. But of course these also pair very well with a plate of spaghetti with my homemade sauce. Enjoy!
Oh my gosh. Wow. These were scrumptious beyond belief. Even my ultra picky 4 year old gobbled them. (This being a mac n cheese chicken nugget and plain cheese pizza kind of kiddo). Made along with your homemade sauce for a dinner the whole family loved. This is going into our regular rotation. Will be eagerly watching for new recipes 🙂 thanks for sharing it!!
Thank you so much! I am thrilled that you enjoyed them! They are definitely a house favorite here 😉