Cheesy Turkey Meatballs

I’m getting this post out a bit later today because I’ve been slaving away all morning creating Star Wars t-shirts for Nick’s birthday party on Saturday.  The things we do for our kids, right?  I created light sabers out of pool noodles and painted t-shirts by hand.   I stuffed goodie bags and wrapped “asteroids” filled with treats for a treasure hunt.  And then tomorrow, it’s chocolate birthday cupcake baking day.  I even bought edible tops with Star Wars figures for the tops of them.  Go Mommy!  I may run myself into the ground, because this is going to be the best darn Star Wars party this end of the dark side!  And as we all know, a busy day of birthday magic creation results in the need for a quick and easy dinner at the end of the day.  Enter cheesy turkey meatballs.

The idea for these little beauties was born on an evening when I was craving a meatloaf but had already had a busy, tiring day and only had a half hour until dinner needed to be on the table.  Now, if you’ve ever cooked a meatloaf, you know that a half hour isn’t going to cut it.  The cooking time is much longer than that.  So, I decided to get the same flavor in considerably less time by making mini meatloaves instead; aka meatballs.  These little morsels are delicious and so quick!  They were ready in time for dinner with minutes to spare for whipping up a noodle side dish and some broccoli.  They were also a big hit with the kids who all asked for seconds.  It’s a dish even Darth would love!  So if you’re thinking you’re ready to take these guys for a spin in your kitchen, here’s what you’ll need to do just that:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound of Ground Turkey
1/2 Cup of Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1/2 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of Worcestershire
1/4 Cup of Milk
1 Carrot, Shredded
1/4 Onion, Chopped
1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheddar
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Cup BBQ Sauce

Add together in a large bowl your turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, worcestershire, milk, carrot, onion, cheese, garlic and pepper.

Mix it together well.  I actually use my hands to mix it together (after a good washing of course).  It’s just easier and you’re going to need to get dirty anyway to make the meatballs.  Once you’ve mixed it up good, grab small handfuls of your meat mixture, roll them into balls.

Heat up about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  When the oil is heated up, drop your balls into the pan.

Cook ’em up for about 5 to 10 minutes, flipping to all sides, until they are cooked through.  Once they are cooked up, drain any leftover oil and add in your bbq sauce.

I used a homemade version that I found in my Better Homes and Gardens grilling cookbook, but you can, of course, use any sauce that fits your fancy.  Let the balls and sauce heat up and then serve.  And it’s that simple.  I quick weeknight dinner that even your littlest dark vader will enjoy.  May the force be with you…. and also the cheesy turkey meatballs.