Turkey Meatballs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A few years back, my parents were telling me about one of their first dates. My mom was cooking for my dad, and she decided to make him spaghetti and meatballs. Apparently my dad hates raisins, and my mom's best meatball recipe contains raisins - dilemma. I'm told my dad still ate those raisin-containing meatballs and didn't tell her he hated them until years later to spare her feelings. True love?

A few weeks ago, Jake and I were hanging out with our good friends Jason and Sherri, who have been married for about 5 years. Sherri informed us that she had made dinner for the two of them one night - spaghetti and meatballs. This dish had apparently been a staple in their dinner menu since they had been married. Sherri also said that, as she and him sat down to eat, out of nowhere, Jason just blurted out "I hate spaghetti and meatballs." She was shocked that he had been eating something he hated for so long and didn't say anything! Is this a common trend in marriages, particularly with spaghetti and meatballs? I'm beginning to think so.

Anyway, back to this recipe. Jake has always been very honest with me (sometimes too honest) as to whether or not he likes the particular dish I make. After hearing Jason and Sherri's meatball story, I was determined to see what Jake would think of my meatballs (which I never make). I found this recipe for turkey meatballs and decided to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used seasoned)
• 1 Tbs butter
• 3 Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 Tbs fresh chopped flat-leaf parsely
• 2 big cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbs whole milk
• 3/4 lb ground turkey

How to:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a sauce pan over low-medium heat, melt butter and toast breadcrumbs until golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Once cooled, combine breadcrumbs with tomatoes, parsley, garlic, cheese, and salt in a large bowl.
• Add beaten egg and milk, and mix to incorporate.
• Add ground turkey and combine by hand.
• Form mixture into medium-sized balls. Take care to not overwork the turkey mixture.
• Arrange balls on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through, turning meatballs halfway through.
• Remove from heat and serve with your favorite sauce.

Jake gave these meatballs two thumbs up. I think the sun-dried tomatoes contributed a savory aspect to these meatballs without adding an overwhelming flavor. If you're looking for a sauce to serve these with, try my recipe for Spicy Marinara Sauce.

Find the original recipe here. Yield: ~16 meatballs.