Recipe for Turkey & Beef Meatballs and then a round two recipe :) By:Steph

Hi All, just wanted to share my meatball recipe that is a hit in our house. (We all know I take the term “recipe” quite loosely. I just sorta throw stuff in until it tastes good to me and ta-da it’s my recipe.)Then I took the basic meatball mixture and used it for a second meal that is more something just my husband, oldest daughter and myself will enjoy tonight. The little ones would think I’m trying to poison them with zucchini! Death by veggies..scary stuff!

I should title these turkey meatballs my husband actually LIKES! But, I will go with the more simple:

Basic Turkey & Beef Meatballs

20 oz. Lean Ground Turkey (I used the Italian Seasoned Jenny-O because, it’s pretty yummy)
16 oz. 9% lean ground beef (I have used 4% but, it’s such a small calorie difference and leaves the mixture more dry)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 TBL parmesan cheese grated
1 TBL minced garlic fresh (or the jarred kind works too)
1/2 cup grated onion (just use a cheese grater and grate directly into the bowl you will want all that juice it creates)
2 egg whites beaten
salt, pepper, granulated garlic, pizza seasoning (I love this as it is basically Italian seasoning with red pepper already in it) to taste

(A tip to see if it’s well seasoned is to grab a little dab and cook it up so you can taste it.)

2 1/2 cups Marinara sauce (I love Victoria’s White Linen Marinara from Costco it’s really fresh tasting)
Olive oil cooking spray to coat frying pan

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except Marinara and cooking spray. Mix lightly until everything is combined well. Do not over mix and when you form meatballs don’t pack them down. If you are worried about portions and calorie count then grab your kitchen scale, and a 1/4 cup measuring cup. About 3/4 of that 1/4 cup measurer filled loosely with the meat will equal about 1.2 ounces. This is a nice golf ball sized meatball. Roll out and it should form 34 roughly 1.2 oz. meatballs.

Place meatballs in a frying pan coated with olive oil nonstick cooking spray, heated over medium heat. Lightly brown on all sides and then pour Marinara over the top and cover with lid. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 mins.

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You can serve them alone with sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, on a toasted French roll, over whole grain pasta, really any way you enjoy them.

Recipe makes 34 meatballs:
65 calories, 2 carbs, 3 fat, 6 protein, 0 fiber, and 1 sugar

This next recipe isn’t really a recipe either. I keep seeing a picture of different baked zucchini with toppings all over Facebook and thinking it looks delicious. So, this is my take on it.

Italian Style Zucchini Bake

8 uncooked meatballs from above recipe
3 medium to large zucchini
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup Marinara sauce
3 slices reduced fat Provolone

In a frying pan crumble meat and brown lightly.

While meat is browning, wash and lay zucchini on a cutting board lengthwise. Take your knife and hollow out the center of the entire zucchini. It should look like a canal down the center of it. Dice up the zucchini you removed and add to skillet with 1/4 cup of diced onion. I added a bit of salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cooked until onions were translucent.

Season the zucchini boats with salt, pepper and garlic and then place in a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Fill zucchini with meat and veggie mixture, top with marinara sauce and lightly cover with foil. Place in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with provolone and broil just until cheese is melted.

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Serves 3
257 calories, 14 carbs, 12 fat, 24 protein, 3 fiber, and 6 sugar

Ok so we had the Zucchini Bakes for dinner and while very tasty my husband informed me that you can’t cut through the provolone without it all coming off. I guess we will survive 🙂

Enjoy,

~Steph