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Tag Archives: meatballs


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Mozzarella-Stuffed Pesto Meatballs

Ok, first of all, y’all are WAY too nice and are going to give me an ego with your overflow of nice comments yesterday on my jumpsuit situation. I actually felt like that post was way narcissistic after I published it, so thanks for not being like “um, no one cares about what you wore this weekend.”  Even if that’s what you did think, thanks for not verbalizing it.  I realize I’m perpetuating the misconception that I think I am hot sh*t, because let me assure you, half the time I feel like a bumpkin trying to play dress up.  And for those of you who do care about my fashion musings, the jumpsuit is Laundry by Shelli Segal and I got it at TJ Maxx.  Here’s a similar one.

Back to today’s regularly scheduled programming….

Why do I insist on buying those sad little basil plants in the grocery store?  I know damn well as soon as I get them home, they’re going to com sui and I’ll be in a frantic race to use the entire thing before it’s a complete wilted mess on my counter top by the end of the week.  Yet I can’t help but think this time will be different!  Me and this little basil plant will march hand-in-hand into the sunset and it will never leave me!

False.

But at least this time I came up with a new way to use up those fragrant little leaves in the nick of time.

Balls, duh.  But not just any balls, my friends.  These balls are cut with lentils to make them even more nutritiony (yep, that’s a word) and freshly chopped basil to add tons of flavor.  Oh yeah, and they’re stuffed with mozzarella cheese.  Why?  Because why wouldn’t you stuff balls with cheese?

Mozzarella-Stuffed Pesto Meatballs
Total time:  About 40 minutes
Makes about 12 medium-sized meatballs
You’ll Need:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup brown lentils, cooked*
8-10 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 medium onion, grated (over the mixing bowl to capture juices)
1 tsp. garlic
1 egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Favorite sauce for serving

Directions:   Preheat oven to 375.  In a blender or food processor, chop lentils and then chop walnuts.  Mix everything from the ground turkey to the breadcrumbs together in a large mixing bowl until blended.  Then start rolling into golf-ball sized balls, making a small indent with your thumb to fill with mozzarella and then roll until cheese is covered.  On a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, spray with a small coating of cooking spray and place balls about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked throughout.  Cool for about 5 minutes.  Serve with favorite sauce or on top of pasta.

*If you don’t want to use lentils, just add another 1/2 pound of ground turkey.

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These were fan-freaking-tastic.  I wasn’t really sure how the mixture of walnuts and basil and lentils were all going to pan out, but let me tell you, these are officially in the rotation.  Plus since they only take about 30-40 minutes to make, so Jess likee.

I’m also on kind of a lower-carb kick right now and it’s nice to find something filling and not completely green in color that grew from the earth.  So even if these don’t help me justify another Victoria’s Secret bikini to add into the rotation of “things I’m never going to actually wear”, at least they left me satisfied.


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Beer Braised Meatballs

In the spirit of… holiday spirits, I’ve been really trying to enforce the old “no drinking booze during the week” rule on myself.  This time of year, every weekend is a different party and everyone’s trying out some new holiday-themed cocktail (shucks).  And who am I to pass up someone’s creative efforts?

So since I can’t be guzzling the good stuff, I figured, I might as well cook with it.

I actually saw this recipe thanks to a random episode of Rachael Ray I saw the other day on a late lunch break.  Normally, I can only take about 10 minutes of her and her spastic facial expressions before I violently change the channel, but this time she sucked me in.  Or was it the beer?  We’ll never know.

I also enjoyed using my trusty cast-iron skillet.  That poor thing gets about as much use around here as a light switch in an Amish household, amiright?

Right. Anyways, so I let these bad boys simmer for a while, and the next thing I knew, my nose was filled with the intoxicating scent of a crisp lager, just bubbling away.  I don’t think I need to tell you who was excited about this dinner…

Well, besides me.

And Mac, c’mon that’s cheating. He gets excited about everything.

Except bath time.  He is not a fan.

Yep.  That’s right.  Brandon was so excited he volunteered to make the sprouts.  THE SPROUTS!

Be still my beating heart.


You’ve done it again, Rachael Ray.

Beer Braised Meatballs
(Adapted from Rachael Ray)
You’ll Need:
1lb lean organic ground turkey
1 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp. crushed dried parsley
1 egg, beaten
3 T worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup beef stock
1 cup beer (I used Yuengling Premium Lager)
3 T olive oil

Directions:  In a large pan or cast iron skillet, heat oil over med-high heat.  Soak breadcrumbs in milk for about 5 minutes, and then squeeze out excess liquid.  In a large bowl, combine turkey, soaked breadcrumbs, parsley, worcestershire sauce, garlic, pinch of salt and pepper and egg.  Combine with your hands until thoroughly mixed.  Shape into golf-ball sized meatballs and place in hot oil.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until browned all over.  Then add the beer and stock, cover with a piece of foil, and simmer for about 15 minutes.  (Shake pan occasionally).  Serve over couscous.

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We ate our boozy little balls atop a bed of fluffy couscous, and it was the perfect complement.  And if we’re being honest, I did have a beer with dinner, but you guys…

Yeah, I don’t really have an excuse, but whatever.  I do what I want.


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Crockpot Meatballs

You guys, I’m doing so good with my whole plan to cook with what I have.  You should be so proud.  Like if I had a report card, you’d totally hang it on the fridge.

But not too high, because I’m destined to crack before the weekend’s over.

So in keeping with the plan, I had some ground turkey that I let thaw overnight in the fridge, and was trying to be creative and I really wanted to use the crockpot.  My work’s been crazy lately and I had an event that night, and I’m a realistic woman.  Meaning when I get home any later than 6:30 and dinners not already simmering, the Magic Eight Ball would say: Outlook Not So Good.


So speaking of balls and games of chance, I made a quick decision and whipped up some meatballs and decided  I’d see how they turn out after a hot steam in the crock.  I always brown my meat before I put it in, but after discussing this theory with a few different people, I threw caution to the wind and dunked them in as is.


I thought about them all afternoon.  Wondered how they were doing.  If my husband would get home early and sample one before it was fully cooked and then I’d spend the evening in the ER explaining to people that he never listens to me, and I’ve told him a million times- I’m sorry I’m ranting.  Have I ever mentioned I’m slightly OCD? Right.

So when I came home to a wonderful aroma of what I can only imagine the streets of Italy smell like, I cautiously removed the lid… and inside…


Perfection.

Crockpot Meatballs
Cook time: 6-8 hrs
Makes: approx 18 meatballs
You’ll Need:
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat parmesan
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup onion, diced
Salt & Pepper
About 48oz marinara sauce of your choice (2 jars if using prepared)

Directions:  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and shape mixture into golf ball sized balls.  Pour sauce into crockpot and set on low.  Add meatballs to crockpot, pushing them in until mostly covered.  Place cover back on crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over pasta, on a hoagie roll or however you like!

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I can say with the utmost confidence this is how my balls will be prepared from now on.  It only takes about 10 minutes to throw them together and then my sister-wife (Ms. Crock Pot) does all the rest of the work.  And just think of all the possibilities!  Subs, pasta, pizza: the choices are endless.

Also the meatballs are so tender and moist, as opposed to how they can get really dry when you bake them.  Also, they were so good we ate them straight out of the crockpot.  This may also have been due to the fact that I was famished and it was after 6:30 after all…

I also need to make mention of the fact that I cannot make meatballs without shouting… well, this:

(Another validation as to why my parents child-locked MTV when we were youngsters.)

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