Meatballs

Sadly I don't mean this:

or this

but just these

I was struggling with the dinner menu this week, since I didn't have a CSA basket this week to help with planning I just couldn't think of anything I wanted to make. So I stuck with something easy that I could throw in a crock pot and forget about.

Over my my blogging career I tried a couple of recipes for meatballs all of them good but nothing that knocked my socks off, ya know?

• Homemade sauce and meatballs

• Scallion meatballs

One of the blogs I read skinnytaste had a recipe that I thought I would give a try.

Ingredients:

• 20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 93% lean
• 1/4 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Reggiano Parmigiano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp kosher salt + fresh pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (I like Tuttorosso)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or parsley

1. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs, about 1/8th cup each.
2. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. 
3. Pour crushed tomatoes into the crock pot with bay leaf. Add garlic and oil.
4. Drop meatballs into the sauce, cover and set crock pot to low, 4 to 6 hours. When meatballs are ready, adjust salt and pepper to taste and add fresh chopped basil or parsley.
5.  Serve with ricotta, over pasta or enjoy with French bread.

They were quick and easy to prepare and all I had to do was throw them in the crock pot and wait. And check one to make sure they were cooked. ;)

I did try and serve them with part skim ricotta cheese since I had some in the fridge, but it was awful. Maybe I just don't like ricotta? (wow a cheese I don't like?!?!)

So I stuck with just the plain meatballs. John however asked "just plain meatballs?" so he had his on a whole wheat sandwich roll (a more manly meal).

My review of this recipe-they were really moist inside but the flavor was lacking. The sauce was really good however, it thickened up as it cooked and the flavor was garlicky ( I added a little more than the recipe called for) which I liked. 

And of course no meatball meal would be complete with out the side salad, and since I didn't eat the ricotta cheese I had a bit more feta on the salad. :)