Tasty Tuesday: Thai Turkey Meatballs in a Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Meatballs are one of my favorite things, but I don't make them as often as I'd like. They're not as time consuming as some dishes, but they're also not something I generally feel like making after a long day at work or a busy weekend day running errands.

When I do make meatballs, I stick with the classic Italian variety a lot of the time. I mean, spaghetti and meatballs is total comfort food. However, I also really like to switch it up and experiment with different flavors. (And as I was writing that I realized that I've never posted a recipe for classic Italian meatballs, nor have I even posted any meatball recipes using anything other than turkey. I guess I'll have to change that at some point!)

Today's meatballs once again fall under the turkey category. And, as you probably guessed from what was said above (and the title of this post, obviously!), they're not classic Italian meatballs.

It's no secret that we love curry in our house. I've only posted a couple of curry recipes in the past (including the ridiculously simple Green Curry Chicken that is Eric's absolute favorite meal), but we make it quite a bit. We also get Thai and Indian food out a lot, and often order different types of curry at those restaurants.

Anyway, the point is that we love curry ... So obviously I'm always very open to trying new curry recipes at home.

I'll admit, though, that I really wasn't expecting to be blown away by this recipe. I thought it would be pretty good, but sometimes peanut sauces are too sweet or overpowering. I wanted to give it a try (mostly because we had all of the ingredients on hand with the exception of green onions, fresh cilantro, and coconut milk), but I didn't know if it would even end up on the blog. 

I have a few other recipes I made a while ago that I still need to post, but I bumped this one up to this week because it was that good. I felt like I had to post it immediately! 

The sauce wasn't very spicy at all (though you can certainly make it spicier by adding more Sriracha), and it was sweet without being too sweet. The flavors of the coconut milk, red curry paste, and peanut butter blended perfectly so that one ingredient wasn't overpowering the rest. Eric even commented that he liked that the flavor of the peanut butter wasn't too strong. You can taste it, of course, but it's not the only thing you'll taste. 

As far as meatballs go, this recipe came together pretty quickly. I read somewhere (probably a food blog, but I can't remember which one) that Asian style meatballs should be blended in a food processor instead of being mixed by hand like a more traditional meatball. I have no idea whether or not this is actually true, but I took that advice and mixed these up in my food processor. I was kind of worried that they wouldn't stay together as I was shaping them because they seemed pretty fragile (and wet and mushy, but that just sounds completely unappetizing), but they were fine after I baked them. 

The sauce was also really simple. It only uses a few ingredients, and is done in just a few minutes. (Clearly a win!)

Thai Turkey Meatballs in a Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Jo Cooks.

Ingredient List (Meatballs):

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3-4 green onions, white parts removed (You can chop these if you want, but since I mixed my meatballs in the food processor, I didn't bother. They'll get chopped up and mixed in with the rest of the ingredients so you really don't need to chop them yourself unless you're planning to mix your meatballs by hand.)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (Again, you can chop this up if you're planning to mix by hand, but otherwise I say be lazy and dump it into the food processor. Why do more work when your kitchen appliances can do it for you?)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions (Meatballs):

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, coat with cooking spray, and set aside.

3.  If you're using a food processor to mix the meatballs, add the ground turkey, green onions, fresh cilantro, fish sauce, red curry paste, Panko breadcrumbs, egg, sea salt, and black pepper to the food processor and blend until everything is combined. (This shouldn't take long.) If you're mixing the meatballs by hand, simply add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and start combining them with your hands.

4.  Once the ingredients have been mixed together, begin shaping the meat mixture into meatballs. I'm not great at making meatballs that are perfectly uniform, but I managed to get a total of 18 meatballs out of this.

5.  Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to keep them as evenly spaced as possible.

6.  Bake the meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and the meatballs are beginning to brown a bit. (30 minutes was the perfect amount of time for mine.)


Ingredient List (Red Curry Peanut Sauce):

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk.)
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 heaping tbsp peanut butter (I used crunchy because that's the variety we always buy. I worried that it might make the sauce too chunky, but I really didn't notice the tiny pieces of peanut while I was eating so I think it blended into the sauce pretty well. You can kind of see the peanut pieces in the pictures, but, like I said, they didn't make the sauce too chunky or crunchy. I say use whatever type of peanut butter you normally like to eat.)
• 2 tsp Sriracha (You can always adjust the heat of the sauce by adding more or less. I know everyone's definition of "spicy" is a little different, but neither Eric nor I thought the sauce was very spicy at all at this level.)

Instructions (Red Curry Peanut Sauce):

1.  Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2.  Once the oil is heated, add the red curry paste and cook for about a minute.

3.  Add the coconut milk, brown sugar, peanut butter, and Sriracha, stirring constantly until the peanut butter, curry paste, and brown sugar have blended well into the coconut milk.

4.  Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Since it only takes a few minutes for the sauce to cook, you don't really need to start making it until about 10-12 minutes before the meatballs have finished baking.)

5.  Once the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and gently stir. Add additional fresh cilantro (if desired), and allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for about 3-5 minutes.

I served these meatballs over jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. So good!

Tasty Tuesday: Turkey BBQ Ranch Rice Bowls

I feel like I probably should have shared this recipe last week since it's a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but I already had my Vegan Chana Masala post ready to go so I decided to push this one back a week. The good news? This would be just as delicious with shredded chicken.

I know a lot of people love making turkey sandwiches with their Thanksgiving leftovers, but I've never been much of a sandwich person. I don't hate sandwiches or anything ... I just typically prefer other types of meals.

So when Eric's mom sent us home with some leftover Thanksgiving turkey, I wanted to come up with a simple but delicious way to use it without resorting to sandwiches. After searching our kitchen for random ingredients I could toss in with some turkey to make a filling and tasty meal, I came up with this very simple rice bowl.

I love rice bowls (some of my other favorites include this Chicken Veggie Avocado Rice Bowl and this One Pot Turkey Kielbasa Dirty Rice), so it's probably not too surprising that "rice bowl" was the first thing that popped in my head when I was trying to figure out what to do with my leftover turkey. (It probably also helps that we always have plenty of rice on hand!)

Even though this isn't much of a recipe (I mean, it really doesn't get much easier than this), I'm proud of it. I always feel really accomplished when I come up with something on my own (even if it's super simple), and I feel even more accomplished if I can come up with something on the fly using only random ingredients already lying around my kitchen. (Okay, I feel like a fucking rockstar when I do that, but that's a little embarrassing to admit.)

Anyway, this isn't the most beautiful or interesting meal I've ever put together ... But it's delicious. And simple. And cheap (especially if you already have these ingredients on hand). Clearly all of those things make this dish a winner.

Turkey BBQ Ranch Rice Bowls

A Divulge and Indulge original recipe.

Ingredient List:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken, if you prefer that), shredded or cut into chunks
• 1/2 of a large yellow onion, sliced into long, thick strips
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/3 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a cheddar Jack blend.)
• 1 cup cooked rice, for serving

Instructions:

1.  Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

2.  Add the sliced onions to the oil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until completely softened. (You'll want to stir the onions occasionally to prevent them from getting overcooked on one side.)

3.  Season the onions with the garlic salt and black pepper, then reduce heat to low.

4.  Stir in the cooked turkey (or chicken), BBQ sauce, and ranch dressing. (I chose to use a 1:1 ratio of the sauces, but if you'd prefer one flavor to stand out a bit more, you can adjust the amounts you use accordingly.) Stir the mixture several times to thoroughly combine, and allow to warm over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until completely warmed through.

5.  Top with shredded cheese, cover, and remove the skillet from heat. Let it sit until the cheese has melted, then serve over rice.

Like I said, this is really easy and it uses a lot of ingredients that most people probably have in their kitchen anyway. As written, this made enough for two fairly large bowls. It could easily be doubled (or tripled!) if you need to serve more people, though. 

Tasty Tuesday: One Pot Turkey Burrito Bowls

It's no secret that I love one pot meals. (And really, doesn't everyone?) The fewer things to clean after making dinner, the better. It's not as though we don't have a dishwasher (I don't think I could ever live in a place that didn't because really I hate washing dishes!) ... But we always wash our pots and the majority of our other kitchen utensils by hand.

So when I found a one pot burrito bowl meal online, I knew I had to try it. Burrito bowls are one of the easiest things to make, and we make them often. They're great because you can pretty much throw anything into one and it will taste amazing. (Here's a chorizo potato burrito bowl I shared previously that utilized the leftover filling from the enchiladas at the beginning of that post.)

This burrito bowl was no exception. If rice, meat, beans, and chilies all cooked together with melty cheese and fresh tomatoes on top sounds like your kind of thing, you should definitely give this recipe a try. And feel free to change it up ... There are so many options when it comes to a meal like this!

One Pot Turkey Burrito Bowls

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on No. 2 Pencil.

Ingredient List:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 10 oz. can mild Rotel
• 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cilantro
• 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-2 cups shredded cheddar Jack cheese
• 1 tomato, diced
• Diced green onions for serving (optional)
• Salsa for serving (optional)
• Sour cream for serving (optional)
• Guacamole for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2.  Season the ground turkey with the garlic salt and black pepper and add it to the heated skillet. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.

3.  Add the red onions, and cook until just softened.

4.  Push the meat and onions to one side of the skillet. Pour the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the other side and cook the uncooked rice with the oil for about 2 minutes (or until some of the grains begin to turn golden brown).

5.  Stir in the black beans, Rotel, diced green chilies, water, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, Mexican oregano, and cayenne pepper.

6.  Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes (or until the rice is tender).

7.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Remove the skillet from the heat, cover, and let sit for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.

8.  Top with the diced tomato and, if desired, diced green onions. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

As I said earlier, there are so many ways to make this recipe your own. You can change the type of meat you use (or skip the meat completely). You can use another type of cheese (I'd suggest pepper jack or a Mexican blend). If you hate beans, leave them out. Add a jalapeño pepper for more spice. Do whatever you like ... Just make sure you give this a try!

Tasty Tuesday: Crockpot Turkey Sloppy Joes and Parmesan Zucchini Rounds

After sharing some of my most embarrassing musical guilty pleasures yesterday, I'm hoping I can redeem myself with today's recipes.

I rarely share two recipes in one post, but I decided I'd make an exception today. These two things don't have to be made together, of course, but I think they're a great combination (especially if you're trying to cut some calories!). 

Eric and I have actually made these sloppy joes several times in the past, but I never bothered to post the recipe. I'm not sure why ... They're really good! We like them so much that we even made a huge batch one weekend last fall when we had a bunch of people over to watch a Husker game. They were a big hit, and everyone was surprised when we told them they were made from ground turkey. They don't taste "light" at all, but they're much lower in fat and calories than traditional beef sloppy joes.

And the zucchini? This was quite possibly one of the simplest side dishes I've ever thrown together. It's also one of the healthiest, which was a huge bonus! We usually have potato or pasta salad with these sloppy joes, so it was nice to mix things up and pair them with something lighter.

Crockpot Turkey Sloppy Joes

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff.

Ingredient List:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 10.75 oz. can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp classic yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Hamburger buns for serving

Instructions:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2.  Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.

3.  Toss in the diced onion and green pepper near the end of cook time, cooking until just tender.

4.  Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray.

5.  Drain any excess grease from the skillet, then add the turkey and vegetable mixture to the crockpot.

6.  Add the tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, garlic salt, and black pepper to the crockpot. Stir several times to mix thoroughly.

7.  Cook on low for 4 hours.

Parmesan Zucchini Rounds

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Five Heart Home.

Ingredient List:

• 2 medium zucchini
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper
• Mrs. Dash Original blend
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

(Please note that I didn't actually measure out how much seasoning I used. I just sprinkled my zucchini slices as evenly as possible with each of the 3 seasonings listed. Feel free to use whatever amount you like, but I will say that you shouldn't need much.)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut the vegetables into slices about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.

3.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with cooking spray.

4.  Place the zucchini slices on the baking sheet, leaving little to no space between them.

5.  Sprinkle them as evenly as possible with the garlic salt, black pepper, and Mrs. Dash.

6.  Add a tiny amount (use your best judgment because I didn't measure out how much I used on each slice) of Parmesan cheese to each of the slices.

7.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. (I only baked mine for 12 minutes because my cheese was melted by then and I didn't want to risk burning them. If you think you'd like the cheese a little more golden brown, I'd suggest leaving them in a little longer ... Just make sure you check on them regularly to make sure they're not getting overcooked or burnt!)

If you're looking for an easy, healthy meal full of the flavors of summer, this is it. And if sloppy joes aren't your thing, I'm sure the zucchini rounds would also pair nicely with chicken or fish.

Tasty Tuesday: One Pot Turkey Kielbasa Dirty Rice

On a weeknight, there's really nothing better than a quick, simple meal.  This is especially true after a busy day at work and/or on an evening when Eric and I go to the gym.  We usually get home kind of late on those nights, and the last thing we feel like doing after a particularly tough workout is making some elaborate, time-consuming dinner.

That's where today's recipe comes in.  Not only is it quick and simple, it's also flavorful, somewhat healthy, and, best of all, it's a one pot meal.  Every time I scour Pinterest for some new ideas, I'm always sucked in by all of the "one pot wonders."  Sometimes they're complete duds, but sometimes they actually turn out really well.

I'm happy to say that this is one of those "one pot wonders" that actually turned out really well.

This is such a simple meal, but it's packed with tons of flavor (and protein!).

One Pot Turkey Kielbasa Dirty Rice

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Oven Love.


Ingredient List:

• 14 oz. smoked turkey kielbasa, sliced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (this amount will make the dish pretty spicy, so use less if you want less of a kick)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme

Instructions:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook until tender (approximately 5 minutes).

2.  Add the sliced sausage to the skillet and cook with the onion and pepper for 5-7 minutes, or until the sausage starts to brown.

3.  Add the red kidney beans and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times to mix everything together.

4.  Pour in the uncooked rice, chicken broth, and water.  Stir to combine, making sure that everything in the skillet is covered by the liquid.

5.  Add the garlic salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme.  Again, stir a couple of times to ensure everything is mixed together.

6.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low.

7.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the liquid has evaporated.

I know this isn't a "true" dirty rice (I looked it up out of curiosity, and, in addition to many of the ingredients listed here, dirty rice typically includes celery, pork sausage, and chopped chicken livers), but I thought it was the best name for this dish since it contains a lot of the flavors of a typical Cajun dirty rice (minus the aforementioned ingredients, of course).

No matter what you decide to call it, this is a delicious, flavorful meal that requires minimal work and minimal cleanup.  It's definitely being added into our regular weeknight meal rotation!

Tasty Tuesday: Spinach Turkey Lasagna Toss

I've learned a lot about cooking since I decided I wanted to learn how to do more in the kitchen than heat up a can of soup or a frozen dinner.  And while I'm definitely gaining more confidence in my cooking abilities, I'm still not as awesome as I'd like to be.

Once in a while, though, I manage to surprise myself.  Today's recipe was one of those surprises.

I usually try to make meal plans for the week ahead (mostly for my own sanity when things get chaotic).  If it's been a couple of weeks since we've gone to the grocery store (and we don't have time/don't feel like going that week), I have to get a little more creative and find recipes that only contain ingredients we already have on hand.  Or, in the case of today's recipe, I get even more creative and come up with something on my own.

I don't do this often because, to be honest, I'm still not confident enough in my culinary skills to regularly come up with my own recipes.  (I hope I'll eventually get to that point, though!)  But once in a while I decide to give something a try and hope for the best.  And once in a while it actually turns out to be pretty damn good.

I tried desperately to get a picture that showcased the "layers" in this dish.  This was the best I could do.

Spinach Turkey Lasagna Toss

A Divulge and Indulge original recipe.


Ingredient List:

• 1 box short pasta (I used Garofalo organic gemelli from Costco)
• 1-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1-1 1/2 cups white onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (you could also use a 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, but we usually have a big bag of fresh spinach on hand since it's one of our Costco staples)
• 2 14.5 oz. cans diced fire roasted tomatoes in their juices (I used Hunt's)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Italian Medley
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used whole milk ricotta in this recipe)

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to get tender.

4.  Add the ground turkey to the skillet and season with the black pepper and sea salt.  Cook until the meat is completely browned, breaking it up as it cooks.

5.  Add the garlic to the meat and onions and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.

6.  Season the meat mixture with the Mrs. Dash Italian Medley, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes.

7.  Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted.

8.  Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water.  Cook according to package directions until al dente and drain.

9.  Pour the 2 cans of tomatoes (with their juices!) into the meat mixture.  Cook through, stirring a few times to mix thoroughly.

10.  Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray and add about half of the drained pasta to the pan.

11.  Add about half of the meat sauce, 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the shredded Parmesan, and the ricotta to the pasta in the pan.

12.  Make a second layer using the other half of the pasta, other half of the meat sauce, 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the shredded Parmesan.

13.  Bake the pasta for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted.

As you can see, it's a very simple recipe that's easy to throw together.  It's perfect for when you're craving the flavors of lasagna but don't have lasagna noodles on hand (or just don't feel like spending an extra few minutes assembling perfect layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese).  I would like to note that this is not an overly saucy dish (which is actually surprising since I love saucy pastas), but it's full of flavor.  I served this with a simple green salad and a glass of white wine (my favorite is Riesling).

Tasty Tuesday: Turkey Sriracha Meatballs

What is it about meatballs that's so appealing?  I mean, when you think about it, the concept is kind of gross: little wads of meat stuck together with egg and breadcrumbs.

The idea of a wad of meat might be kind of gross, but Meatwad is pretty damn adorable.  I love him (and this show!)

Even though the concept may be gross, meatballs are not.  I love meatballs, and I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to make them.

Today's meatball recipe is pretty straightforward, but the sauce is what makes them really special ... It's spicy and tangy and contains Sriracha, so it's obviously amazing.  This is also a really simple recipe.  Seriously, if you can follow instructions, you can make these meatballs!  (And you should make them soon!)

These meatballs can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish (I served these for dinner over rice with a side of steamed broccoli).

I actually made an effort when plating these meatballs, and I thought this was MasterChef worthy.  Hey, a girl can dream!

Turkey Sriracha Meatballs

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Budget Bytes.


Ingredient List (Meatballs):

• 1-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced into fairly small pieces
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

Instructions (Meatballs):

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray it with cooking spray, and set it aside.

3.  In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients.  Mix everything together using your hands.

4.  Shape the turkey mixture into meatballs and place each meatball onto the cookie sheet, making sure to space them apart as evenly as possible.  (As I've mentioned before, I kind of suck when it comes to making perfectly uniform meatballs.  The original recipe states that you should get between 25-30 meatballs, but I only wound up with 17.  I'm sure you can stretch this recipe further if you make small meatballs, but I obviously like mine a little bigger.  (That's what she said!)  Sorry ... I couldn't resist.)

5.  Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes, or until they are cooked through (I baked mine for the full 30 minutes).

A closer look at these delicious, spicy meatballs.

Ingredient List (Sriracha Sauce):

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Sriracha
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions (Sriracha Sauce):

1.  While the meatballs are baking, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly until the brown sugar is dissolved.

2.  Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of water with the cornstarch in a small bowl.

3.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan with the Sriracha mixture and stir until well combined.

4.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  The sauce should thicken and become a little glossy when it has finished cooking.

5.  Drizzle the sauce over the meatballs once they've finished baking.

As I said earlier, I served these meatballs as a main dish over Jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

Tasty Tuesday: BBQ Turkey Meatballs

I almost feel ridiculous sharing this recipe today because it's just so easy.  I found the original recipe on Pinterest when I was searching for things to do with some ground turkey we had on hand.  I love meatballs, so when I saw this, I knew I had to make it.

I didn't change the original recipe that much.  To be honest, there really wasn't much that needed to be tweaked.  Meatballs don't require a ton of ingredients to be delicious (though that's not to say I don't appreciate unique flavors in a meatball!).  It's a great, simple dish that could easily be served as an appetizer or as a main dish.  (I served it for dinner over rice with a side of mixed vegetables.)

With just a few simple ingredients, these turkey meatballs come together quickly and taste amazing!

BBQ Turkey Meatballs

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Sugar Dish Me.

I added even more BBQ sauce after adding the meatballs to some rice.  Delicious!

Ingredient List:

• 1-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced into fairly small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil

This is the BBQ sauce I used in this recipe.  It was smoky with a hint of sweetness and a bit of a kick.

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, add all ingredients (using only half of the Panko breadcrumbs at this point) except the olive oil and BBQ sauce.  Mix everything together using your hands.

3.  Slowly add in 3-4 tbsp of BBQ sauce, combining with the meat mixture using your hands.  Because the BBQ sauce will make the mixture pretty moist, you'll want to add in the remaining Panko breadcrumbs at this point, mixing everything together thoroughly.

4.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

5.  Shape the turkey mixture into meatballs, dropping them in the skillet in batches.  (I'm going to be really honest here ... None of my meatballs were uniform in shape and size.  I kind of suck at that.  My recommendation is to simply decide how many meatballs you'll need and how large you'd like them to be, and eyeball it from there.  I ended up with 17 meatballs, many of which were pretty large.  The original recipe stated it makes about 36 meatballs.  Obviously that's a huge difference!)

6.  After adding the meatballs to the skillet, roll them around a bit to brown them on all sides.  Once each batch of meatballs is browned, remove to a baking sheet (I lined mine with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray for easier cleanup) and repeat until all meatballs are browned.

7.  Spoon the remaining BBQ sauce over the meatballs and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through.  (I cooked mine for 18 minutes.)

As I said earlier, we served these meatballs as a main dish over rice with extra BBQ sauce and a side of mixed vegetables.