Meatballs. I’ve been into meatballs lately. That almost sounds dirty. My husband loves it when I make turkey meatballs in bulk and keep them in the fridge for whatever occasion. They turn into a go-to protein for a quick breakfast, easy meatball sliders, salad toppers, or just a snack. The kids tend to like these as well. My low carb gluten free turkey meatballs are popular at home, so I ventured into a new flavor with some mustard and brown rice. It changes the texture a tiny bit and adds flavor. You could always omit the rice if your are counting carbs or avoiding grains of course. I found it to not make much difference when it comes to binding.
Spicy Dijon Turkey Meatballs
3 lbs ground turkey. (regular, not lean)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
3 eggs
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Mix it all together by hand. The egg holds it all together and the rice soaks up excess liquid. Mold the turkey mixture by hand into balls about 2 inches in diameter. You should be able to fill an entire standard baking tray with about 35 meatballs. Place in the oven at 375* F for around 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can brown them in a frying pan in batches of about 10. Pan browning them in three batches for 10 minutes each takes about the same amount of time in total as baking them. There is a bit more work involved, but it allows you avoid the “protein sweating” that baking promotes. I personally think they taste better pan browned, but for bulk cooking, baking is easier.
This approach to meatballs is great for party prep. You could then place them in an electric warming tray for people to self-serve as appetizers. The spicy version goes well with ginger and teriyaki. With meatballs bars springing up around town, turn the trend into a dinner party. Make a variety of meatballs at home in different flavors and invite friends. I am thinking of creating a turkey meatball bar for next Thanksgiving or Christmas. I figure if I end up hosting, I get to jazz it up my own way!
