Roasted Turkey Meatballs with Mozzarella and Scallions
These meatballs are straightforward to make and a welcome addition to many meals. The combination of mozzarella, scallions and jalapeño is cheerfully reminiscent of jalapeño poppers, and those ingredients — along with crushed Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs — add fat and moisture for tenderness. Omit the jalapeños for a milder meatball. You can eat these with Italian, Mexican or Middle Eastern flavors; their versatility is limitless. Dip them into green sauce, ketchup or tahini; swaddle them in tortillas, pitas or hero rolls; or plop them on top of rice, refried beans, mashed sweet potatoes or sturdy salad greens.
Ingredients
- 1/2cup crushed buttery crackers, like Ritz
- 1large egg
- 1 1/2teaspoons ground cumin
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 6scallions, coarsely chopped
- 2jalapeños (optional), seeded if desired, coarsely chopped
- 1pound ground turkey
- 2ounces chopped mozzarella, preferably fresh (about 1/2 cup)
Directions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until a paste forms. Stir in the scallions and jalapeños, if using (reserve a little of each for garnish, if you like). Add the turkey and use your hands to mix until combined. Add the mozzarella and mix just until combined. The mixture will be loose and sticky.
Using wet hands, roll into 12 meatballs (3 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared sheet pan. Bake until cooked through and bottoms are golden, 13 to 17 minutes. Garnish with optional reserved scallions and jalapeños, if you like.
Nutrition
- Info
- Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 15 gramsCalories: 274Saturated Fat: 5 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 9 gramsSodium: 408 milligramsSugar: 1 gramFiber: 1 gramCarbohydrate: 7 gramsProtein: 28 grams
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023890-roasted-turkey-meatballs-with-mozzarella-and-scallions