Turkey Meatballs!

One of the great things about cooking is there are no rules. I also enjoy the fact that if you "mess up" it can open the doors to a completely different recipe that will still taste pretty darn good. I had some ground turkey that I had been wanting to use in a recipe, and I wanted to make something quick for dinner a few nights ago. I also had a half of a jar of spaghetti sauce that REALLY needed to be used. (I prefer my homemade sauce, but I keep spaghetti sauce on hand just in case.) Spaghetti it is.

I also make my own bread crumbs-I try not to waste anything. Any bread that is fixing to go stale or the heels of a loaf of bread all go into my gallon-size storage bag in the freezer until it's full. Then, to the food processor! If you decide to make your own, I would recommend leaving the crumbs a bit coarse so you can grind them finer if need be! Sometimes, the bigger crumbs are a benefit for crunch.

I started out making turkey meatballs, but the flavors ended up being better for a morning turkey sausage. Use it for either one, but next time I make these, I will definitely be doing patties and doing breakfast sandwiches with it. So, let's go!

Turkey Meatballs/Patties
Yield: 15 1-inch meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey (I used 85/15%)
¾ c. milk
¼ c. coarse bread crumbs
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the milk and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and mix well. Next, if the bread crumbs seem to have a bit too much liquid, squeeze them until just moist and add to the spice mixture. I like to leave the breadcrumbs moist because the meatballs don't dry out in the oven. Once everything except the turkey is mixed well, add the turkey. You want to make sure the turkey is the last thing added! It is a lean meat and if worked too much, the meat will become tough once cooked. Mix with your hands until just combined. Roll the mixture into approximately 1-inch balls and place evenly across cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, then flip the meatballs over and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove, let sit for 2-3 minutes and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 15
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 60.1

• Total Fat: 2.9 g
• Cholesterol: 21.4 mg
• Sodium: 445.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 2.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
• Protein: 6.5 g