Turkey, Mozzarella & Beet Green Meatballs 

I’ve got to say, I am having THE BEST time experimenting in the kitchen as a newly omnivorous cook!

I keep bookmarking all sorts of recipes, and every so often one gets really stuck in my head.  These Turkey Meatballs from Bon Appétit totally got me fixating. I loved the idea of warm and homey tomato sauce, and being able to have it as a main meal with a healthy and hearty protein.

This is the tomato sauce I use for just about everything — lasagna, pasta dishes, and pizza sauce!  And now it’s great for turkey meatballs too!

Instead of going with the spinach, I used beet greens, as they came with a bunch of beets in my veggie box, and were too gorgeous not to use up!  But you could also use a package of frozen spinach (10 oz) or a clamshell of baby spinach here.

Mr. KitchenOperas and I enjoyed these 2 at a time, swimming in a bowl of sauce.  We loved the anise flavour from the fennel seeds to complement the ground turkey — I wouldn’t make them any other way!

Turkey, Mozzarella & Beet Green Meatballs
Inspired by Bon Appétit’s Turkey-Spinach Meatballs, Serves 4.

Marinara Sauce

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter

Turkey Meatballs

• 500g lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 bunch of beet greens
• 1 egg
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, for brushing the balls

Begin by making the Marinara Sauce:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the onions over low heat until they are translucent.  Add the oregano, basil, paprika, sea salt, and diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Turn the heat down to low, and simmer the sauce for 30-45 minutes.  Add the butter, and stir.

Make the Turkey Meatballs:
Preheat the broiler.

While the sauce is simmering away, mix together all of the ingredients for the Turkey Meatballs (except the olive oil) in a large bowl.  Scoop out the turkey mixture by the 1/4 cup, and form into balls with your hands (I got 12 balls).

Place the balls onto a parchment-line baking sheet, and brush with the olive oil.

Broil the meatballs, turning every 5 minutes, until browned all over and cooked through (ground turkey is safe at 165°F), about 15-18 minutes. 

Finish the dish:
Add the turkey meatballs to the marinara sauce and serve hot!