Story time! In high school I used to work at a pizza restaurant. Not only did we serve a lot of pizza, but we also served a lot of pasta! And a lot of meatballs. So yeah, I made a lot of meatballs. But none like these Baked Spinach Turkey Meatballs!
High School Stories!
I shared this story on IG, but I’ll share it again here. When I worked during the “prep” hours at the pizza restaurant, I had several tasks. One of them happened to be making meatballs. NOT a glamorous job. In fact, I found it quite disgusting. I had to use a massive bowl so I’d have enough room for all of the ground meat and other ingredients. Then I’d mix it all by hand in that massive bowl. Then I’d shape that 1,000 pounds of meat into balls and it would take me all morning. See, not glamorous. But I sure learned how to make meatballs! 🙂
These Spinach Turkey Meatballs
This recipe is different. I’m using the same technique, but swapping the ground beef/pork for turkey and adding a little spinach. But that’s one of the reasons I secretly like meatballs. I really like that you can swap ingredients or add ingredients to change the flavor and nutritional composition. It’s so fun! Especially when you don’t have to make mass quantities of them. 😉
How About YOU Try Them?
As always, I leave you the recipe in hopes that you’ll try it yourself. I wish you the best, but if you’ve got questions along the way, you know how to find me! Enjoy and don’t forget to share!
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Baked Spinach Turkey Meatballs
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These aren’t fancy, but they sure are delicious! Make a big batch of these Baked Spinach Turkey Meatballs to enjoy now and then freeze some to enjoy later!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plain whole wheat breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ pound Italian turkey sausage
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped white onion
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained of any excess moisture
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara, warmed
- ¾ pound whole wheat spaghetti
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400’F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the breadcrumbs to a large bowl, along with the milk, and stir to combine. Let soak for about 8 to 10 minutes, until breadcrumbs are moistened.
- To the bowl with the breadcrumbs, add the ground turkey and sausage, along with the egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, cheese and spinach.
- Using lightly oiled hands, shape mixture into 1 ½-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165’F.
- While the meatballs are baking, heat the marinara sauce in a pot set over medium-low heat, stirring often.
- Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain.
- Toss cooked spaghetti with half of the warmed marinara sauce and portion into bowls. Top with meatballs and remaining marinara. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Italian
