Italian Turkey Meatballs

In this healthy turkey meatball recipe, a base of sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic adds flavor and helps keep calories in check and portions hearty. Serve these meatballs with marinara as an appetizer, on top of spaghetti or on a roll for a healthy meatball sub.

Prep/Cook Time: 50 Minutes, Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 pound lean ground turkey

Directions

1. Finely chop mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the cooled vegetables; stir until combined. Add turkey and mix gently to combine (do not overmix). Form into 30 meatballs (a scant 2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 190 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 46 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 2 g total sugars; 19 g protein; 1 g fiber; 375 mg sodium; 392 mg potassium

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.