It’s always a challenge to find a way to persuade toddlers to eat their vegetables.  So I have come up with a delicious turkey meatball that incorporates spinach and tomatoes without any evidence to the consumer!  One consumer recently said that these were the best turkey meatballs they had ever eaten.  Try them out and decide for yourself!

Ingredients

Two lbs of ground turkey (I buy organic, including white and dark meat)

3 cloves of garlic

1 onion

9 sage leaves

Sea salt to taste

1/4 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of canola oil plus more to fry meatballs

1/4 cup dried oregano

1/4 cup dried basil

1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach

1 -2 cans of diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)

Instructions

Add garlic, onion, sage leaves, ketchup, canola oil, oregano, basil, salt, breadcrumbs, and frozen spinach to food processor.  Blend until reach a paste-like consistency.  Transfer to large metal bowl.  Add ground turkey.  Mix until paste is evenly mixed through turkey.  Heat canola oil in fry pan.  Make turkey meatballs using mixture — make sure they are a good size so that they stay together.  I usually form each meatball into a ball by rolling between my hands.  Fry meatballs in oil until outside is seared, turning them as needed, and added more canola oil as needed.  I tend to use just over medium heat on stovetop and then turn it down as needed.  Be careful of oil splatter.  Transfer seared meatballs to glass lasagna pan.  Pour diced tomatoes over meatballs.  Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until cooked through.  Bake for 5-15 more minutes at 350 to brown.  Enjoy over your favorite pasta!