Baked Meatballs

My friend Holly recommended this recipe to me, saying they were super easy since you just have to bake the meatballs instead of cooking them in a skillet. I normally bake my meatballs anyway, especially when making them to freeze with sauce, but I have never thought to make them in a mini-muffin tin! I was a little worried about all the fat that would be sitting at the bottom of each cup by the end of baking but I used ground turkey instead of the original recipe's suggestion for veal/pork/beef mix, so there was very little fat leftover.

The addition of spinach to these little guys makes for a healthier meatball, and also adds a very nice taste. We really enjoyed these, and the recipe made enough for me to freeze some for another meal! I served them over ravioli and topped with homemade marinara sauce.

Baked Meatballs

slightly adapted from Alton Brown

makes 24 meatballs

1 and 1/3 pound package (approximate) ground turkey

5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 whole egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup bread crumbs, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, spinach, cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs into a small bowl. In the mixing bowl, roughly divide the meat mixture into four equal parts. Using your hands, break each quarter into 6 equal parts. Shape each mound into a ball, roll in the bread crumbs and place the meatball in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Into the oven...

...and out of the oven!