camie's favorite turkey meatballs

 

These are my favorite turkey meatballs and I keep forgetting to put them on this blog so I have to keep trying to find the little index card where I wrote this recipe down.  FINALLY it will be where it needs to be. :)

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

1 egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon basil (I used fresh this time)

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine egg and all ingredients except the ground turkey.  Combine very well then add the ground turkey. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Use a cookie scoop to form meatballs and place each one in the skillet.  Once all the meatballs have had a chance to brown on one side, turn them over and let them brown on the other side.  Let them continue to cook until they are cooked through.

I like to eat them with tzatziki sauce!

ground turkey kebabs (or meatballs)

 

Hall of Fame!  I haven't declared a Hall of Fame in a while and this one deserves it.  The flavors are fantastic.  I didn't have the right skewers for kebabs so I formed mine into meatballs.  Get ready for some soft, uber-flavorful meatballs.

ground turkey kebabs (or meatballs) (Costco Connection Magazine, December 2022)

2 pounds ground turkey

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3/4 cup parsley, chopped

10 ounces frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled (I couldn't believe I didn't have any on hand!)

1 egg, whisked

1 shallot, chopped (I used 2 green onions)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

10 thick 8-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (unless you prefer to pan fry).

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.  With damp hands, mold meat firmly around skewer into a sausage shape, about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.  You should have enough meat for about 10 skewers.

Brush kebabs with oil and bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 25-33 minutes or until meat registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Serve with tzatziki sauce and hummus.

inside out dumplings (meatballs)

 

I am so behind on posting.  I blame it on having a child getting married...soon!  Imagine these meatballs with a drizzle of teriyaki or soy glazed chili sauce.   I stay away from added sugars but you probably don't so do that.  I really enjoyed these meatballs so I'm glad I doubled the recipe because I've been eating them for lunch all week.

inside out dumplings (Costco Connection Magazine, October 2022)

1 pound ground pork or beef (I used lean ground turkey)

4 ounces canned water chestnuts, drained and finely minced

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbvs

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger, grated or finely minced

1 teaspoon garlic, grated or finely minced

1 large scallion, minced

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

I did not follow Costco's instructions to air fry them.  I poured a little bit of olive oil into a frying pan and pan fried them.  You can do what you wish.

lemony turkey meatballs

 

I've made these meatballs twice and plan to make them again this week.  They are SO good with the lemon zest and fresh parsley. Delicious.

Note:  Great with jasmine rice, hummus and tzatziki sauce.

lemony turkey meatballs (from Cook For You Gut Health, America's Test Kitchen)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine bread crumbs, egg, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper.  Add the turkey and knead until combined.  Use a small scoop to form meatballs.  Place on a small cookies sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet.  Add the meatballs and brown on all sides until done.

meatballs with onion sauce

My family is enjoying my daughter's new Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook because she is cooking up some great meals for us!  These meatballs (we used turkey) were moist and delicious as was the sauce.  Mmmm!

meatballs with onion sauce (adapted from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, Dinah Bucholz)
1 pound extra lean ground beef (we used ground turkey)
1/2 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

onion sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth 

For the meatballs, combine the meat, bread crumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and set on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or so.
For the onion sauce, add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.  Add the flour and stir to combine.  Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling.  Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.

smoked sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes

This was a great meal that everyone in my family enjoyed (that's because my husband wasn't home; he's not a fan of this kind of sausage).  The kids loved the sausage and potatoes (and of course the rolls we served this with) and I loved everything. 

smoked sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
2 packages Foster Farms turkey smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound red potatoes, cut into wedges
salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Brown sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a little water to keep the sausages from burning on the bottom.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in microwave-safe bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high until potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
In the skillet you cooked the sausages in, add bell peppers and onion and heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant.  Stir in broth and oregano and stir to combine.  Nestle sausages and potatoes in vegetables, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until nice and hot, 10-12 minutes.  Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with rolls.

What I have to say- you may not need to cook 2 packages of smoked sausage.  My kids LOVE it so to make sure I get some I have to cook up 2 packages.

simple roasted turkey

The turkey is in the oven and smells delightful.  Last year our turkey turned out so moist and absolutely delicious that I decided to use the same recipe from Real Simple.  I have to be honest- I haven't always cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving.  My husband and I have never been fans of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner so we've done our own thing which sometimes didn't include stuffing, mashed potatoes or corn.  In fact after I bought our turkey this year my husband and kids were trying to get me to make tacos this year instead.  I said no way- last year's turkey had me looking forward to turkey all year so turkey it is.  What's nice about keeping it small (Auntie Karen is our only guest!) is that we can have whatever we want.  We don't have to have yams with marshmallows on top if we don't want to.

Menu-
roasted turkey with gravy
mashed potatoes
swiss green beans
buttered peas (we have to have peas!)
greens with blue cheese, cranberries and pecans 
dinner rolls
pumpkin cornmeal muffins
cranberry fluff
candy corn coolers
pumpkin pie
dutch apple pie
pumpkin fudge

Story- I was in charge of a Thanksgiving dinner for the "over 50" group in our ward in the first year my husband and I were married.  I handed out recipes except for the sweet potatoes/yams.  As you can assume they came back in casserole dishes with marshmallows on top.  My husband looked at them and whispered in my ear, "Are those marshmallows?  What are they doing in the yams?"  He was serious.  He had never seen that before.  EVER.  I still find it hard to believe but he's a pretty honest guy so I'm forced to believe him.

simple roasted turkey (adapted from Real Simple) 
12 pound turkey, thawed if frozen
12 sprigs fresh thyme
3 large onions, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
kosher salt
2 pounds baby carrots
4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
bag for cooking a turkey


Heat the oven to 375.  Working on a baking sheet, remove the giblets and neck from the cavity.  Discard.  Using a paper towel, pat the turkey dry of juices.  Stuff with thyme and half the onions.
Rub the turkey all over with the butter and season with salt, making sure to reach the crevices of the legs and wings. 
Place the turkey in the bag and place it in a disposable turkey pan.  Fill the turkey bag with the rest of the vegetables and extra thyme if desired.  Tie the bag.
Follow the cooking directions on the box that came with the turkey bag (for me it meant cooking the turkey for 4+ hours). 
Tilt the turkey to empty the juices into a saucepan.  Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent with foil and let rest for at least 25 minutes.  Reserve the pan and its contents for basic gravy.


basic gravy  (adapted from Real Simple)
4 cups turkey broth from turkey drippings
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper


Remove the vegetables from the roasting pan and reserve to eat with the turkey.  Carefully strain the pan juices into a large fat separator.  Let stand 5 minutes, allowing the fat to rise to the top.   Pour the juices into a large measuring cup, leaving the fat behind.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the butter and flour to create a roux.  Cook the roux, whisking frequently until deep brown, 4 to 5 minutes.  The darker the roux the richer the flavor.  Whisk in the 4 cups of liquid and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Season the gravy with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Strain just before serving if necessary.



What I have to say- our family loves lots of vegetables so I changed the amounts for those.  What's great about the turkey bag is you will not have to worry about the turkey or vegetables burning.  This is an EASY way to cook your turkey.  This is another slight variation from the original recipe.