Any kind of a curry - green (thai) or yogurt/cream based (indian) - add veggies and serve over rice for a main dish or thin with broth to make a soup. mmmm
One of my faves that should work with turkey is a Spanish almond/sherry sauce; for 1 lb. meat it takes 2 cl. garli, 2 oz blanched, chopped almonds, 2 Tb. parsley, 1/2 tsp. paprika, pinch of saffron; grind these ingredients together. Saute 1 lg shallot (minced), add 1/2 c. dry sherry, 2/3 c. broth, salt & pepper- simmer briefly, then add ground ingredients. Pre cooked meatballs should cook in sauce about 8-10 min.
You can season the meatballs with thyme, sage, and marjoram to make it truly T-day-esque. Make your sauce using the pan drippings from the meatballs. Add flour and cook long enough to create a dark roux. Add some rich flavoring like "Better than Bouillon," dissolved in hot water to the roux and a dash of Gravymaster so sauce is quite brown. When thick and bubbling, add as much cranberry sauce as you want, starting with about half a can.
You can also dissolve a can of cranberry sauce over low heat. Thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water if needed.
They aren't very saucy per se, but the Shanghainese Lions Head meatballs on this site are Delicious. The recipe calls for pork, but turkey can be substituted.
I love this recipe - and have made it with turkey, as well as pork. Great idea!
Another possibility would be a Marsala sauce. I usually use either chicken, veal or pork cutlets, but I think I've done turkey too (don't see why not.) Saute some minced shallots, garlic and sliced mushrooms in the same pan where you browned the meatballs, add a couple tablespoons of flour and cook a minute more. Deglaze with Marsala, add chix broth, S&P and simmer. Add back the meatballs and simmer couple minutes more. You can swirl in some butter at the end to make it silky. (I just made up the meatball version, but it's basically what I do with any Marsala/meat.)
Trust me on this. A bottle of Heinz 57 sauce, a medium size had of grape jelly and enough garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to suit your taste. Sprinkle the meatballs with the seasonings first. Mix the sauces and pour over top.
Assuming the meatballs have jusy been made and fried in a pan until evenly browned off on all sides..
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml/5fl oz red wine
300ml/10fl oz beef stock made
Gently fry the onion over a low heat for five minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir well. Slowly add the red wine and stock stirring constantly.
Pour the gravy over the meatballs in a lidded saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid and leave to simmer gently over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and increase the heat. Boil the gravy for another 3–5 minutes or until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Assuming the meatballs have jusy been made and fried in a pan until evenly browned off on all sides..
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml/5fl oz red wine
300ml/10fl oz beef stock made
Gently fry the onion over a low heat for five minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir well. Slowly add the red wine and stock stirring constantly.
Pour the gravy over the meatballs in a lidded saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid and leave to simmer gently over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and increase the heat. Boil the gravy for another 3–5 minutes or until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
You could make a traditional Greek Avgolemono sauce (creamy lemon/egg sauce.) I've had the soup version served with small meatballs, so it's not a stretch. Maybe flavor the meatballs with some dill or oregano (I usually put dill in Avgolemono anyway.)
Start with a basic white sauce. It can be transformed to a cheese sauce, garlic sauce, Italian herb and cheese sauce, lemon pepper sauce, the combinations are endless. BB
Swedish meatballs are delicious and comforting. Served on a bed of egg noodles. Also you can season your meatballs to reflect the cuisine of the region you are cooking. ex. Greek seasoning - chopped black olives, oregano, lemon zest - for greek meatballs served in a pita with tzatziki. You could also do middle eastern with sumac, mint, and zaatar, served with hummus and pita, or East Indian in a butter or cream curry sauce served with Naan bread. Hope this helps!
I was going to suggest the same variables as Janet Thomson. Turkey is such a neutral meat, you could go in many directions...
In adddition to her Greek & ME or Indian ideas, consider a red wine Provencal sauce, a mixture of Thai seasonings and garnishes (stolen from spring rolls), a deeply flavorful mushroom sauce (use both fresh and dried for richer flavor), something cabbagey picking up Alsatian or German notes. Et cetera, et cetera.
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pesto
chimichurri
a thai style green/red/yellow curry
a japanese style curry
amba is a really delicious pickled mango spicy sauce
You can also dissolve a can of cranberry sauce over low heat. Thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water if needed.
Another possibility would be a Marsala sauce. I usually use either chicken, veal or pork cutlets, but I think I've done turkey too (don't see why not.) Saute some minced shallots, garlic and sliced mushrooms in the same pan where you browned the meatballs, add a couple tablespoons of flour and cook a minute more. Deglaze with Marsala, add chix broth, S&P and simmer. Add back the meatballs and simmer couple minutes more. You can swirl in some butter at the end to make it silky. (I just made up the meatball version, but it's basically what I do with any Marsala/meat.)
Assuming the meatballs have jusy been made and fried in a pan until evenly browned off on all sides..
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml/5fl oz red wine
300ml/10fl oz beef stock made
Gently fry the onion over a low heat for five minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir well. Slowly add the red wine and stock stirring constantly.
Pour the gravy over the meatballs in a lidded saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid and leave to simmer gently over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and increase the heat. Boil the gravy for another 3–5 minutes or until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Assuming the meatballs have jusy been made and fried in a pan until evenly browned off on all sides..
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml/5fl oz red wine
300ml/10fl oz beef stock made
Gently fry the onion over a low heat for five minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir well. Slowly add the red wine and stock stirring constantly.
Pour the gravy over the meatballs in a lidded saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid and leave to simmer gently over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and increase the heat. Boil the gravy for another 3–5 minutes or until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Voted the Best Reply!
In adddition to her Greek & ME or Indian ideas, consider a red wine Provencal sauce, a mixture of Thai seasonings and garnishes (stolen from spring rolls), a deeply flavorful mushroom sauce (use both fresh and dried for richer flavor), something cabbagey picking up Alsatian or German notes. Et cetera, et cetera.