Turkey Meatballs with Zippy Cranberry Sauce

I received several comments that folks had never made meatballs before (Turkey Meatball Soup) and how they could see them as a meal in itself or, perhaps, an appetizer….with a dipping sauce!  Meatballs are a fabulous little food. They provide flexibility in portion size and an endless array of serving options. Vary the meat, enrobe them in sauce, toss them with pasta, add them on top of a salad, or sandwich them between some lovely bread.  Endless, I tell you!

With the holidays coming up (and my “dipping sauce!!” friend) I was inspired to create an appetizer that you would be pleased to take to a gathering or serve up as a meal for your family.  We will use the same recipe for the meatballs from my Turkey Meatball Soup, only now we will bake them in the oven and add a sauce. This is actually my preferred method of cooking meatballs (vs. sautéing).  It is less messy, lower fat and you can whip up a sauce while the meatballs are baking.

For the Meatballs you will need:

1 pound ground turkey breast

½ cup cooked quinoa (see instructions under “Quinoa Basics” post)

2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)

A palm full of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

A palm full of chopped fresh basil

½ tsp kosher salt,

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a broiling pan (a rimmed sheet pan paired with a flat pan with drip vents in it). If you do not have one of these just use a rimmed baking sheet.  Lining your rimmed pan with a little aluminum foil makes clean up a breeze!  If you are using a broiling pan, lightly mist with spray oil. I love my refillable spritzer since I can choose what kind of oil I want to use and skip all the added propellants and other ingredients in the store bought spray oils.

2. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix gently but thoroughly and shape into 24 meatballs and place on your prepared pan. This isn’t rocket science, just get them roughly the same size so they will cook evenly.   Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through, no pink.  Cut a meatball in half and check…this makes a great snack…I mean taste tester, but only if they are cooked through.

While your meatballs are baking, let’s get the sauce together.  You will need:

Zippy Cranberry Sauce Ingredients: 

1½ cups water

¾ cup honey (local is best)

12 oz bag of fresh cranberries

1 orange

1 ½ cups apple cider

¾ cup ketchup

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

½ tsp hot sauce (Frank’s or your favorite)

1. Add the water and honey to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Peel the orange and chop into bite sized pieces (discard the peel).

2. Add the cranberries and orange pieces to the pan, return to a boil and then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries “pop” and all fruit is very tender.  It will look a bit like jam and, at this point, is a nice replacement for the canned stuff on your holiday table.

3. Add the apple cider, ketchup, salt, pepper and hot sauce and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  This sauce will be chunky but if you want it smoother you can either puree it in a blender in two batches or use a food mill to get out the chunks.  Always be careful when blending hot food/liquids and only fill the blender half way. I also secure the lid of the blender with a towel in my hand just in case the hot liquid decides to attack.

Serve the meatballs on a pretty dish with the sauce on the side or as a meal with mashed potatoes or rice. I bet they would be nice on a spinach salad with the cranberry sauce as the salad dressing (you could thin it with just a little olive oil if you so desire).

The sandwich idea (with homemade foccacia) was not a bad one. Enjoy!