Description
These are the best baked meatballs! There’s something about mixing the lean turkey meat with the sweet chicken sausage that makes for the perfect texture.They’re extremely flavorful, tender and juicy. This recipe yields up to 60 homemade meatballs depending on how big or small you roll them.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 2 eggs
- 1 small onion (grated)
- 1 large carrot (about 1 cup, finely shredded)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Large handful chopped basil (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1 pound sweet chicken italian sausage (Casings removed. Can also use spicy sausage if you like)
For the tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- More salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the breadcrumbs, pesto, eggs, onion, carrot, parmesan, basil, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mix together. Add the turkey and chicken sausage and mix until just combined. Cover and put in the fridge while you make the sauce. (You can keep in fridge for several hours and make later)
- In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, honey, crushed tomatoes, and dried herbs and stir to combine. Bring sauce to a rolling simmer, then turn heat to low and let cook, stirring occasionally, while you form the meatballs.
- Form golf ball sized meatballs by lightly rolling them in your hands and set aside. This makes a ton of meatballs, so a little help is nice here!
- Once all the meatballs are formed, take two 9×13 inch baking dishes and spoon enough sauce in each to cover the bottom. Add the meatballs to the dishes and spoon the remaining sauce evenly over them. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve over pasta, rice, or just as is with a great salad!