These delicious meatballs have the added surprise of veggies.....and along with that comes fiber, vitamins, and minerals! Don't "hide" your vegetable additions: boast about them! Let your family, kiddos, co-workers, etc know how fantastic veggies can be!
This recipe makes large meatballs- or a large quantity of smaller meatballs- which makes them great for freezing (on a sheet pan in the freezer, then transfer to a gallon size freezer bag) and reheating for meals or lunches later.
Turkey Sausage and Zucchini Meatballs
Makes 24 large meatballs
1 yellow onion, finely chopped (I used my food processor)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground Italian turkey sausage
1 1/2 lb lean ground turkey burger
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
2 small zucchini (1/2 finely shredded, 1/2 grated)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients (by hand works best) in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to one day).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan (regular size) with olive oil spray. Use a 4 Tbsp cookie scoop (or measuring cup) to scoop out mixture and use your hands to roll into balls. Place balls into the muffin pan. Note: you may also use a smaller muffin tin for making smaller meatballs; yield will be ~36.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping meatballs halfway.
Serve with your favorite sauce, on pasta, or on a salad, or in sandwich, or wrap.............
Nutrition info per 1 meatball: 83 calories, 3.5 g fat, 10 g protein, 2.5 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber
