Author Notes
My husband loves meatballs; I'm always trying to make our meals healthier. These flavorful, moist turkey meatballs make both of us very happy. Panko breadcrumbs keep the meatballs light; parmesan and aromatics add rich flavor. I've served these over egg noodles, with tiny red potatoes, or with hunks of great bread. I've also served mini meatballs in a crockpot as a modern, healthy take on the classic Swedish meatball appetizer. —Rivertree kitchen
Ingredients
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1 pound
ground turkey
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1/2 cup
panko breadcrumbs
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1/2 cup
cup minced onion, divided
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1
clove garlic, minced
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1/2 cup
grated parmesan
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1/2 teaspoon
ground black pepper
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1 1/2 teaspoons
mixed dried herbs, divided
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2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
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2 tablespoons
butter
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2 tablespoons
flour
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1 1/2 cups
chicken stock
Directions
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Place the turkey, panko, 1/4 cup of the minced onion, garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper and half the herbs in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine the mixture quickly but thoroughly. Roll into uniform balls (I like 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and set aside on a plate.
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In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the remaining 1/4 cup onions and the remaining dried herbs in the butter until tender and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, stir to combine, and cook for a minute. Whisk in 1 cup of the chicken stock and boil, whisking often, for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low.
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Add 1 tbs. of the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but the oil is not smoking, add half the meatballs. Brown well on all sides. It's best to touch them as little as possible, so leave them for a few minutes on each side, then rotate gently. You're not concerned about cooking them through here, just getting some deep color. (This is when you'd freeze the meatballs, sans sauce. if you wish. Spread them on a large platter, pop in the freezer for an hour until firm, then store in a locking freezer bag.)
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Gently lower the browned meatballs into the stock. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining meatballs, adding them to the stock as they're done. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup stock into the empty skillet and give it a good stir to scrape up all those brown bits. Pour the hot stock into the saucepan with the meatballs. Stir gently to incorporate, cover the pan, and simmer gently over medium-low heat for at least 15 minutes, or over very low heat for up to an hour.
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