Spaghetti & meatballs was a regular part of the dinnertime rotation for me, growing up. Some of my earliest cooking memories are of helping my mom make her marinara sauce, which is one of my all-time favorite foods. It was also one of the first things I started cooking when I moved into my own apartment and began learning my way around the kitchen.
It took me until I was well into my twenties to start experimenting with my own meatball variations, though. It was my squeamishness about handling raw meat, honestly. Glad I got over that one, though. They’ve since become a favorite. The one I keep coming back to is this easy recipe for baked turkey meatballs.
I hate frying things because I hate dealing with splattering oil and messy clean-up, and this way happens to be healthier to boot. I also swap in rolled oats for breadcrumbs to up the fiber while keeping sodium in check. This particular version feature roasted garlic, but if you don’t have any, feel free to leave it out. I’d recommend grating your cheese fresh to get the richest flavor and keep any cellulose-related anxiety at bay. While it won’t kill you, necessarily, why put wood pulp in your meatballs if you don’t have to?
I love to enjoy these over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or salad. I hope you dig them as much as I do!
Baked Roasted Garlic Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 98% lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup rolled or instant oats
- ½ a small onion, diced
- 4 cloves roasted garlic, diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup liquid egg whites or 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix turkey, cheese, oats, onion, garlic, parsley, egg white, and spices
- Form into small balls (30-32). Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes, turning once partway through.
Serves 4
What were some of your favorite foods, growing up?
When I wasn’t eating my mom’s red sauce straight from a mug with a spoon, I was all about oatmeal with milk and maple syrup poured on top. And Crispix cereal.
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