Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Pesto Meatballs

Okay, here goes my first attempt at taking a “throw-&-go” recipe of mine (one where I just throw all the ingredients together without really measuring them & hope for the best) and making it usable for others!

I was first going to attempt these when no one was home but me, well then (of course) my mom showed up and then my brother and his girlfriend! So I just crossed my fingers, rolled up my sleeves, and went to work on my meatballs hoping that they would turn out to be edible! Well, they did, and not only were they edible, they were pretty darn good too!

A few things for you to consider while reading & (hopefully) making these meatballs: the first couple of times I used ground chicken but now I use ground turkey, both are good, but the turkey just adds more flavor IMO; I’ve always done my pesto sauce without nuts for some reason, and I think that works for the best in this recipe; I tried my best to write out all the measurements, but if something looks to be too much or too little, go with your instinct (that’s what I always do)!

PESTO
3 – 1/4 oz packages of fresh Basil
3 med. to small cloves of fresh Garlic
3/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Dried Parmesan Cheese (the ones in the plastic canister)

Smash & chop garlic, not a lot, just enough so it will spread out when put in food processor (or blender). Put basil and garlic in food processor, using puree setting blend until basil is finely chopped & garlic is combined throughout.

With food processor on, stream in olive oil.

Add Parmesan cheese to food processor mixture, blend until combined throughout.

MEATBALLS
1 lb Ground Turkey (or Chicken)
1 large Egg
1/6 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Pesto
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top of meatballs

In a bowl, combine ground meat, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, pesto, & 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix together with hands until combined throughout.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place in a large casserole dish, totally okay if they are touching. (I always spray my dish with Pam Olive Oil spray first, but I have no idea if this is necessary or not!!) Sprinkle each meatball with a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese. Makes about 15 balls.

Bake at 350 Degree (F) oven for 20-25 minutes. (NOTE: I usually do 25 minutes, but my oven Always seems to need more time than what recipes call for, so they probably will only take about 15-20 minutes!!)

I like to serve them with a fairly simple salad and some nice crusty bread.
Hope you enjoy!

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