We’ve been using ground turkey instead of ground beef for so long that I’ve forgotten what beef actually tastes like. I like ground turkey. The kids have grown to like it too, so I really see no point in switching back. It’s healthier and that makes spending a couple extra bucks worth it to me.
While trying to expand my “bowl recipes,” I stumbled across this particular one for with what seemed like extremely good-for-you meatballs. I liked that they were an oven-bake and the marinara was an easy homemade sauce you could put together in no time and patiently hang out in the kitchen with a cup of tea while it slowly cooked over the stove.
And so I did just that.
Not to mention, it tastes great over whole-grain rice. Which obviously makes it a keeper, a blog post and handwritten down on a recipe card to go in my book. But if you don’t like rice, you can eat just the meatballs with the sauce, overtop a plate of linguini noodles or on a sub.
That makes it pretty hard not to want to give it a try, don’t you think?
- 1lb ground turkey beef
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, divided (optional)
- whole grain rice, (optional)
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsely, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a large baking sheet, cover with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add beaten egg with ground turkey, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, italian seasoning, parsley, salt and black pepper. Combine well with clean hands.
- Using hands, roll meatballs, about 2 tablespoons of mixture, evenly and spread on baking pan. Space out each meatball at least ½-1 inch apart from each other.
- Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and allow to saute for 5 minutes. Next add garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Both onion and garlic should appear transparent. Add canned tomatoes, bay leaf and pepper. Combine well with a wooden spoon and lower heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve overtop meatballs and whole-grain rice.
- Recipe has been adjusted from original posted via adapt link.
