Meatballs
This recipe uses ground turkey, ground beef, and chicken/turkey sausage. I've also made these with just ground turkey, but I prefer the flavor with a bit of ground turkey/chicken sausage. Feel free to play with the ratios depending on what type of meat you have on hand.I use Gluten Free Breadcrumbs, but you can also use regular breadcrumbs or GF Quick Oats if you prefer. Each pound of meat makes approximately 10-12 large or 13-15 medium sized meatballs. You should be able to get 40-48 medium sized meatballs out of this recipe. If you prefer larger meatballs, this recipe makes approximately 30-36 meatballs. Feel free to scale as needed. I like to make the full recipe, then freeze half of the meatballs after they are baked in the oven (before they are added to the sauce).
Ingredients
- 3-3½ pounds ground meat. 1 lb ground turkey, 1 pound ground beef, 1 ½ pound raw turkey/chicken sausage Take sausage out of casing. Can also use 2 pounds ground turkey and skip the ground beef.
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (regular or gluten free). Can also an use gluten free quick oats. I like half panko half regular GF Breadcrumbs, but use what you have on hand. Italian seasoned or plain breadcrumbs can be used.
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup romano cheese, grated
- 6 Tbsp garlic, chopped
- 6 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped or can sub 4 Tbsp pesto
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp additional Italian seasonings (eg dried basil and oregano). Feel free to add these if you used plain (unseasoned) breadcrumbs. Optional
- Olive oil for drizzling prior to baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with clean hands.
- Spray sheet pans with an olive oil spray (or brush use two sheet pans for 48-50 meatballs.
- Drizzle with more olive oil prior to baking. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, then turn and cook another 7-10 minutes. You want them to start to brown during this process. You can also fry them in olive oil in a pan on the stove, but it's easier to bake them in the oven in you are making them for a crowd.
- If you are planning to set some of the meatballs aside to freeze, let them cool completely prior to adding to a ziplock or other container. I try to freeze them flat and not touching if possible.
- Add meatballs to the sauce and let them cook for a while in the sauce. I often let them cook for a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour on low or medium low ( a simmer). Stir and be careful not to let them burn. Enjoy!
Notes
Each pound of meat makes approximately 10-12 large or 13-15 medium sized meatballs. You should be able to get 40-48 medium sized meatballs out of this recipe. If you prefer larger meatballs, this recipe makes approximately 30-36 meatballs.
You can find my Traditional Italian Red Sauce at happyfoodbynancy.com.