Stay traditional and go with turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner, but simplify things with these bite-size meatballs. Though small, they pack a punch of big flavors to rival any main attraction. Paired with a tart cranberry sauce and loaded with warm spices, this dish allows you to ditch the big bird this Thanksgiving. Bonus? You can freeze your extra meatballs to enjoy at a later date.
Turkey Meatballs with Spiced Cranberry Sauce
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Ingredients
- 12 oz extra-lean ground turkey thigh
- 1 organic egg
- 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
- 3/4 cup red wine red zinfandel is nice
- 2 Tbsp monk fruit sweetener
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 slice x 2-inchof orange peel pith removed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves whole
- 6 oz cranberries fresh or frozen (defrosted)
- 1/2 Ambrosia apple unpeeled and finely chopped or grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix. Using approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp of mixture, form meatballs and place evenly spaced out on parchment-lined baking sheet. Makes 16 meatballs.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, giving baking sheet a shake midway through cooking so they cook evenly and acquire color on all sides. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 160 F.
- In small saucepan over medium-high heat, add wine, monk fruit, orange juice, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes until liquid reduces by a third. Remove orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves.
- Add cranberries and apple. Cook until cranberries are soft and breaking apart, approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. With the back of a spoon or potato masher, lightly mash cranberries. You want them all opened to allow the mixture to become thick and jammy.
- Place in glass jar to cool, then cover and store in fridge for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
Per serving: 203 calories; 27 g protein; 11 g fat (2 g sat. fat); 3 g carbohydrates (1 g sugars, 1 g fiber); 119 mg sodium Per serving: 39 calories; 0 g protein; 0 g fat; 41 g carbohydrates (3 g sugars; 1 g fiber); 1 mg sodium
