Here's a great healthy turkey meatballs recipe to make and stash in the freezer for those emergency days when you don't know what to make for dinner. I love that it has some "hidden veggies" that's healthy and doubles to create added moisture for the meatballs, as lean ground turkey can often give dry meatballs. Not these! They are nice and juicy, thanks to the spinach with eggs and panko as binders.
These are perfect to just take straight from the freezer and throw a few into a pot of your favorite jarred (or homemade) pasta sauce to simmer while you boil the pasta. Since they are already fully cooked, they just need to be warmed up before serving.
Here's how to make them and store in the freezer:
Normally when you freeze things you have to freeze them in a single layer and then when frozen solid, transfer to a bag for long term storage. I haven't found that to be the case with meatballs that are fully cooked. I've been able to just place them all in a bag, remove the air, flatten a bit and freeze. They don't congeal to one large mass. And if they seem a bit stuck together, give the bag a light bang on the table and the meatballs all loosen up.
Yields 8 servings (about 28-30 medium sized meatballs)
Ingredients for Meatballs:
- 3 lbs ground turkey
- 1 ½ c panko
- 5 eggs
- 1 package 10oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
- 3 T dried chopped onion
- 2 t granulated garlic powder
- 1 ½ t salt
- 1 t sugar
- 1 T soy sauce
- ½ t ground black pepper
- 2 t dried basil
- ½ c packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Procedures:
1. Add all ingredients for meatballs into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands. It will take a while to mix and ensure everything is incorporated and smooth. (I usually like to use disposable gloves, and mix for at least 10 minutes. It tends to give the meatballs a better consistency.)
2. Roll into medium sized meatballs (about 2 inches) and add to a large pan. (I use a non-stick pan, so I don’t need to add any oil to the pan, but if you don’t have a nonstick pan, add a tablespoon or so of oil before adding the meatballs to prevent sticking.) Turn the heat to low to medium low, and add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of water to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Open the lid and check the bottom of the meatballs. They should just be slightly browned. Adjust heat accordingly, and cover the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Allow the meatballs to cool, and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Squeeze out all the air, seal the bag, label and date it, flatten the bag a bit, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
4. When you are ready to eat them, take the amount you want to eat directly from the freezer and throw them into a pot with your favorite jarred pasta sauce. Simmer until meatballs are warmed through (about 15 to 20 minutes). Do this while you are boiling your pasta noodles, that way, when the noodles are ready, so will your sauce with meatballs! Enjoy!