Baked Turkey Meatballs

When I started eating healthy I was pretty sure that I would never be able to eat Italian food again. Well, with this recipe, Italian could totally be a once-a-week meal again! They are super-easy to make, absolutely delicious, and they don't weigh you down like some Italian foods can do. I had a XXL package of ground turkey, so this recipe actually has 10 servings (so, there's my lunch for the next week, too), but this could easily be halved to accommodate a family of 4.

 Three of these meatballs clock in at 148 calories, 6.4 g carbs, 1 g sugar and 16.5 g protein (if you have 6 then double those numbers, etc).

So, I started with ground turkey (the leaner the better), in this case it was 2.5 lbs, but again, you could easily half it. I like to sneak spinach into my food because I don't particularly love the taste, but I always feel awesome after I eat it. So I chopped up two cups of raw spinach...

Added that to the ground turkey along with 1 egg (I used egg whites), three tablespoons minced garlic,  a half a cup of parmesan cheese, a half a cup of chopped white onions, and a half a cup of bread crumbs.

(Parmesan is a good cheese to use because it has such a strong flavor that a little bit of it goes a long way.)

Then, my least favorite part, mix it all up with your hands...

Then roll up into golf sized balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (no oil needed).

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then turn over and broil on high for another 5 minutes to get a nice crispy meatball. (If you are using turkey, make sure it is cooked through to 165 degrees)

And then you just do whatever it is you like to do with meatballs... make a sandwich, make spaghetti, or a little of both. I took them and added them to my favorite sauce in my crock pot and let that simmer for a few hours...

And served with whole wheat pasta... quick, easy, and delicious :)

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs ground turkey meat

2 cups chopped, raw spinach

1/2 cup raw onion

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 egg (or egg whites)

pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients, roll into golf ball sized balls, cook at 400 for 15 minutes, then broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Ensure turkey is cooked to 165 degrees. Enjoy!