Tag: meatballs

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!
Appetizers, Asian, Under 10 WW SmartPoints, Under 5 WW SmartPoints

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

by aspoonfulofsimpleblog2 Comments on Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

One dish that I never get sick of is a classic meatball. Now, being on Weight Watchers, I try to find some variations of meatballs that use as many 0 point foods as possible so I can pack as much flavor in without the guilt. These delicious teriyaki chicken meatballs are perfect as an appetizer or as a main dish over rice or noodles. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken breast

3 tbsp fresh minced ginger

3 tsp minced garlic

1/3 cup minced scallions (save additional for garnish)

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 egg

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Canola oil spray

Salt to taste

Garlic ginger teriyaki marinade, or other Asian sauce of choice (store bought)

Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken breast, ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix well with your hands or a hand mixer until well combined.
  3. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.
  4. Form meat into 20-24 small meatballs and place on the baking sheet (If the mixture feels too wet, add some extra breadcrumbs, but this mixture may feel a bit more wet and sticky than a traditional meatball! No worries!).
  5. Baked meatballs for 13-15 minutes, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Turn meatballs with 5 minutes of cooking time left to avoid burning on the bottoms.
  6. Toss in a bowl with the garlic ginger teriyaki marinade and serve on their own for an appetizer or over rice or cauliflower rice!
Before cooking
Cooked and tossed in sauce

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 1 point per meatball with marinade. Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.

Print a copy for your recipe binder!

50 calories per meatball.
Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.
Party Favorites, Under 10 WW SmartPoints, Under 5 WW SmartPoints

Slow Cooker Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

by aspoonfulofsimpleblogLeave a Comment on Slow Cooker Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

Though I am not gluten free, there was a time when I was testing out some gluten free recipes for a friend. This one came out great with the substitution of gluten free breadcrumbs instead of regular or Italian, though I’m sure any way you do it would turn out great! These turkey meatballs are truly a meal prepper’s dream, as they require about 10 minutes of prep time, and then they cook themselves in the slow cooker. I originally got and adapted this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Gina from http://www.skinnytaste.com.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey breast

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried parsley

1/4 cup gluten free (or regular if not making GF) breadcrumbs

1 tsp minced garlic

1 28 oz. can tomato sauce

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey breast, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, parsley, grated parmesan, and garlic (get in there with your hands a bit to mix it in!)
  2. Form small meatballs with your hands, about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. Place in one layer in the slow cooker (depending on size, may make between 18-24 small meatballs).
  3. Cover the meatballs with a can of your favorite tomato sauce.
  4. Set the slow cooker to cook on LOW for 4 hours. Stir meatballs carefully about halfway through to avoid over-browning on one side (optional).
  5. After 4 hours, take out the meatballs and serve them alone or with side of your choice!
Everything ready to mix up!
Ready to get sauced.
Try to evenly coat with sauce.
Now, we wait…

Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 1 point for one serving of meatballs (about 4 meatballs per serving). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app. **Whatever you serve this with will most likely add more points! For a low point meal option, try serving it with zoodles, zucchini noodles.**

Slow Cooker Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

  • Servings: 5
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup gluten free (or regular if not making GF) breadcrumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey breast, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, parsley, grated parmesan, and garlic (get in there with your hands a bit to mix it in!)
2. Form small meatballs with your hands, about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. Place in one layer in the slow cooker (depending on size, may make between 18-24 small meatballs).
3. Cover the meatballs with a can of your favorite tomato sauce.
4. Set the slow cooker to cook on LOW for 4 hours. Stir meatballs carefully about halfway through to avoid over-browning on one side (optional).
5. After 4 hours, take out the meatballs and serve them alone or with side of your choice!

Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator. Calories reflect one serving of dip only.