Turkey (or Tofu) Meatballs
Forget what you know about high-fat, high-calorie, golf-ball sized meatballs. This healthy alternative is a tasty change of pace and perfect over pasta, in soup, or as an entrée.
Servings: 4
Serving size: 6, 1” meatballs
Volume: 24, 1” meatballs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Note: Tofu version is vegetarian
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup fine dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup ground walnuts
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or ¼ cup fresh)
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan by spraying for 2 seconds with cooking spray. Set the pan aside. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and shape into 1” meatballs. Place the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Turn the meatballs once to evenly brown during baking. Remove the meatballs from the oven and drain them on paper towels. Serve the meatballs at room temperature with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
Note: Turkey meatballs can easily be frozen. Place cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking pan and freeze. When solid, transfer to a freezer container, label, and freeze. By freezing in this manner, you will be able to easily remove the amount needed from the freezer container because they will not clump. To reheat frozen meatballs, place in a preheated 250-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Alternative Preparation Method: Substitute 14 ounces of pressed firm tofu for the turkey and add 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce.
Why We Love It
The kids will go nuts over these without knowing it’s good for them. Turkey is a great substitute for red meat in this recipe, and the tofu-version is great for vegetarians who miss their childhood spaghetti and meatballs. It’s the little things in this recipe that give this standard dish a big taste: Dijon mustard adds spice, and with lemon juice added, you really don’t need salt.
