Tag: italian

Italian, Pasta

Chicken, Spinach, and Cheese Meatballs

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on Chicken, Spinach, and Cheese Meatballs

I’ve been trying out a lot of new recipes from one of my favorite food blogs, Once Upon a Chef, and this was my take on her Turkey, Spinach, and Cheese meatballs. These cheesy, light meatballs pack the punch of a traditional meatball with a little extra flavor due to the added cheese.

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken breast

1 package sweet Italian chicken sausage, removed from the casings

1 yellow onion, finely diced

3 oz. chopped fresh and frozen spinach (squeeze the water out if frozen)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

Olive oil spray, for the baking sheet

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

28 oz. can of tomato sauce

2 tbsp Italian seasoning (for the sauce)

Directions:

  1. Combine the spinach, onions, garlic, and egg in a large bowl
  2. Add in the ground chicken breast and ground chicken sausage, removed from the casings
  3. Mix in the seasoned breadcrumbs, parmesan, and mozzarella until well combined. Use your hands but be careful not to overwork the meat!
  4. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil and roll 1-2 inch meatballs using your hands (my batch made about 20 large meatballs). Space them evenly on the baking sheet.
  5. Place under the broiler for 10-12 minutes, until the tops get a little golden and crispy looking.
  6. On the stovetop, heat up the tomato sauce seasoned with Italian seasoning. Add in the broiled meatballs and cover the tops with the sauce. Simmer on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes until fully cooked through.
  7. Serve over pasta or with a side of veggies!
Mix up the egg, spinach, onion, and garlic
Combine the meats and cheeses until well combined
Before broiling…
After broiling…notice those beautiful crispy tops!
Simma simma…
And enjoy!
Italian, Pasta, Under 10 WW SmartPoints, Under 5 WW SmartPoints

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

One of my absolute favorite classic Italian-American dishes is chicken parm. The one thing I hate about it is pan frying the chicken and having all that greasy mess in my house and in my food. Enter the air fryer! This air fried recipe is delicious, crispy, and flavorful!

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin cutlets (about 6-8)

1 1/4 cups Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Olive oil spray

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups tomato/marinara sauce of choice

Directions

  1. Prepare three shallow bowls. Fill one bowl with the flour, one with the egg beaten with a little water to thin it out, and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
  2. Pat each piece of chicken dry. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour. Shake off excess. Then, dip in the egg. Finally, coat evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
  3. Set your air fryer to 375 degrees F. Spray the basket lightly with olive oil spray. Place chicken in air fryer in an even layer (you will most likely have to work in batches). Lightly spray the top of the chicken with the olive oil spray.
  4. Cook for 8-10 minutes on one side until chicken starts to look crispy and browned. Then, flip chicken in air fryer using tongs.
  5. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  6. Spoon tomato/marinara sauce onto cooked chicken in the air fryer. Then, layer with shredded cheese.
  7. Cook in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes, or until melted to your liking!
  8. Serve with pasta or your favorite veggie!
Ready to coat the chicken! Note: I added a little salt and pepper to my egg bowl… I just love salt and pepper!
Coated and ready for the air fryer
Once the chicken is air fried and crispy, add the sauce and shredded cheese.

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 5 points per serving (6 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.

Print a copy for your recipe binder!

Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.