Homemade turkey breast meatballs

One of my favorite websites for recipes is Smitten Kitchen. Deb lives in New York and her recipes never cease to amaze me. From her chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting (the cake Cannelle made for my birthday in October) to her warm butternut squash and chickpea salad (a staple in my winter recipes), the dishes are always amazing. Her photos make my mouth water, and I knew when I saw these meatballs I needed to make them. They, too, have become a staple in my recipe box. I've made a few changes to suit my tastes, but trust me, they are delicious!

Recipe after the jump!

Baked Chicken Meatballs


Adapted from Gourmet

Serves 4, or more as appetizers or sliders

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup) – I omit this

1/3 cup milk – I omit this

3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped (you can swap in Canadian Bacon if you can’t find pancetta)
 – I omitted this

1 small onion, finely chopped


1 small garlic clove, minced


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided


1 large egg


1 pound ground chicken – I used ground turkey breast

2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided*


3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley – I use ½ cup of frozen spinach, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.
2. Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. (Alternately, as in “I thought of this after the fact”, I’d bet you could render the pancetta for a couple minutes and cook the onions and garlic in that fat, rather than olive oil.) Cool slightly.
3. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in another 4-sided sheet pan (I used a 9×13 roasting dish).
4. Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush over meatballs (the paste/oil does not mix in any cohesive manner, but just smoosh it on and run with it) , then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes (though mine took a good 5 minutes longer).

* I accidentally added a heaping tablespoon of the tomato paste into the meatball mixture the first time I made it, and ended up liking it better than without it. I’d use the tomato paste on top too. It’s good both places. – I do this too