Author Notes
Everyone seems to love these meatballs! They're made with ground chicken, which is a great alternative to ground beef and so much more satisfying than ground turkey. I've flavored them with a savory blend of garlic, fresh parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese, tomato paste and seasoned Italian bread crumbs. The tomato-balsamic glaze is the finishing touch; it's tangy and slightly sweet, and really dresses these meatballs up. You'll see these meatballs are light, elegant and bursting with great Italian flavor. And the best part is that they are incredibly easy to make! Serve them as you would meatloaf -- with buttered noodles and a vegetable
—Jennifer Segal
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Ingredients
- For the Meatballs
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1
large egg
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3 tablespoons
fresh parsley, finely chopped
-
1 tablespoon
tomato paste
-
1
clove garlic, minced
-
1/4 cup
milk
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1 pound
ground chicken (preferably not all breast meat)
-
1/2 cup
grated Pecorino Romano cheese
-
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
seasoned Italian bread crumbs
- Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
-
1 tablespoon
tomato paste
-
1 tablespoon
extra virgin olive oil
-
1/2 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
-
1/2 teaspoon
sugar
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
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In a large bowl, combine egg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well with a wire whisk, making sure the tomato paste is completely dissolved.
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Add ground chicken, grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Use your hand to mix ingredients together. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Form medium size balls (I think it's easiest to use a 3-tablespoon ice cream scooper with a wire scraper) and place onto ungreased baking sheet or very large baking dish.
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Make the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl, then brush over meatballs. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and serve.
Jenn Segal is the founder of Once Upon a Chef, the popular blog showcasing easy, family-friendly recipes from a chef's point of view. Her recipes have been featured on numerous websites, magazines, and television programs, including The Huffington Post, WJLA's Good Morning Washington, and Parade.com. Before starting her blog, Jenn cooked at the acclaimed L'Auberge Chez Francois and was director of marketing for a prominent restaurant group, both in the Washington D.C. metro area. She now lives in Potomac, Maryland, with her husband and two children.
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