Simple Baked Turkey Meatballs

These Simple Baked Turkey Meatballs are the perfect canvas for a host of dinner ideas. Over spaghetti, dipped into honey mustard, tucked into a sub sandwich or popped into a broth of veggie and noodles for a simple soup.

This Baked Turkey Meatball Recipe has been a long time coming. I’ve made them no less than half dozen times over the last year or so for one of my favorite clients and every single time I make them she asks me for the recipe. And yet I never send it or have I posted it. It’s not that I’ve been hoarding the recipe- promise- it’s more like I get side tracked, too busy and then forget to send the recipe over. Ack! And in my defense, I’ve actually tried to make and blog the recipe twice only to have my boys chow down on theme before I took photos. I guess that’s what I get for making them too close to dinner time. But after making them the last time my clients were in town, I promised myself (and her!) that I’d get the recipe up asap.

And even though this isn’t exactly asap– I did cook for them over the holidays- better late than never- am I right? And speaking of, what is the trick to being uber organized and on top of things? It’s not that I’m a total slacker but between kids, work, school, living life….I feel like I’m consistently just a little behind. And the funny thing is, the whole “being late to the party” thing has been part of my m.o for so long that it feels totally normal now. I’ve come to accept that my life right now isn’t all the conducive to be on top of everything. If I’m rocking my work endeavors then my workouts and messy kitchen pay the price. If I’m snowboarding too much, my laundry and the blog pay the price. If I over commit at school and with catering gigs, everything pays the price. So I’ve just come to accept that my world isn’t meant to be uber organized right now. And if I’m not on top of everything…well, then….so be it. Like I tell my kids- do your best and forget the rest.

So while it sounds a little weird, getting these turkey meatballs posted feels like a gigantic weight lifted off my shoulders. I’ve literally meant to post them for ages and I’m finally getting ‘er done. One more thing to check off the proverbial never ending to-do list. Now if I could just tackle the other 387 things.

So these meatballs…their beauty is threefold. 1) They’re ridiculously easy to make. 2) They’re adored by kids and adults alike. 3) Because they turkey meatballs are baked and not fried, they’re quite healthful too. These are the most basic of turkey meatballs. Simplicity at it’s best if you will. My kids aren’t picky per say but they both have both been known to freak out over the “little green stuff” in their meatballs. So while this recipe is sans any herbs or the like, know that you could easily add fresh basil or parsley and they’d be awesome. Sub parmesan for feta. Add sun-dried tomatoes or olives. Spice them up with some crushed red pepper. Really, you could sub just about anything and they’d be great. You could use the meatballs over spaghetti, in a soup, dipped into honey mustard or other dipping sauce and they make a mean meatball sub. In one word: versatile. In two words: kick ass.

I almost always make a double batch. The meatballs freeze beautifully and they reheat nicely over gentle heat. My husband prefers when I make the meatballs using half lean turkey and half turkey thigh meat. My kids, clients and I are totally ok with all lean turkey meat. Do what you like. Sometimes I brush the tops of the turkey meatballs with a bit of marinara mixed with olive oil (about 2:1) but most times I don’t. Again, you can’t go wrong either way. If I plan to use them for soup, I make them on the smaller side and bake them a few minutes less. If my dad is coming for dinner, I make them big and serve them over spaghetti with my favorite marinara and garlic bread. If I’m making them for the kiddos, I serve them with a side of ketchup, steamed couscous and cut up veggies- one of their favorite dinners ever.

Happy Thursday, everyone. Here’s to a (mostly) productive day and Baked Turkey Meatballs for the win. xo, Kelley

ps- Nacho likes meatballs too.

Simple Baked Turkey Meatballs

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• Yield: 24 meatballs 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 whole cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and scary lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Combine the turkey, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place on a tray or in a pan. You should have about 24 meatballs. If desired, brush the top of meatballs with a bit of marinara.
5. Bake meatballs in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.