Normally, when I think meatballs, I think meat – good ol’ grade a beef. Usually mixed with marinara sauce and noodles. But meatballs aren’t just for hamburger anymore and this tasty chicken variation really proves that.
The combination of the leaner ground chicken, flavorful pizza sauce and fresh gooeyness of the mozzarella cheese creates an exciting change to the standard hamburger, red sauce and noodles.
Now, I don’t want to knock the traditional spaghetti and meatballs because it has it’s place and is quite tasty in its’ own right. I just like that we were able to find something new and a little different to make a fun dinner for the family. If you have fussy kids, just don’t tell them it’s chicken and they will gobble it up.
Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbls chopped onion
- 1 Tbls chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 egg, whisked
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 3 Tbls olive oil
- Jar of store bought or homemade pizza sauce
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, whisked egg, and lemon zest. Using your hands, roll into large size balls and place a few inches apart on the baking sheet.
- In another bowl, mix a few tablespoons of your pizza sauce with olive oil and brush on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, spoon some more sauce on top of each meatball and cover with a slice of the fresh mozzarella cheese. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until cheese if bubbly and golden.
- Heat the remaining pizza sauce to serve with the meatballs and grate some extra Parmesan cheese on top to finish it off.
Happy Rolling!!!
**Recipe from Dinner:A Love Story website.
experimentalspoon.com 