Healthy Chicken Meatballs!

 

Monday was a great day for Dinner outside and that is exactly where Brian and I ate our Chicken Meatballs and Baked Broccoli.

Growing up with Italian food it was always fun to help roll the meatballs. They are one of my favorite "comfort foods". As I got older I tended to shy away from meatballs. I am not a big red meat eater and don't usually have it on hand. So when I began working with ground chicken breast I got an idea: Why not make healthy meatballs that are lower in fat and provide a good source of lean protein?

So here goes my recipe for healthy meatballs:


Ingredients:
1lb ground chicken breast
4 egg whites
5Tbsp. Seasoned Bread crumbs

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl.
2. Roll into like sized balls
         - The chicken is a lot sticker then their  ground beef relative.
3. Place in a heated skillet. I used sesame oil because it has a higher heat threshold then Olive oil

 

4. Saute meatballs until brown. You will not cook completely. The quick sear helps lock in juices since chicken tends to dry out more easily then red meat. 

 

do not over brown. You just want some color added

5.   Place on a baking sheet and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven

6. After 10-15 min turn meatballs  and continue to cook for another 10 min

 

7. Remove meatballs from oven and place into sauce. Let simmer. 

       - I used my family sauce recipe from my dad. You can make your own sauce or used a jar ( I am not a fan of jars... tend to have high levels of sugar. Its better to make your own) 

8. Serve and enjoy. 

I enjoyed my meatballs alone with the broccoli. I served Brians on fresh Italian bread.They are also great with whole wheat pasta. 

what is your favorite "healthy" comfort food?

Ciao, and family secrets

Alexis