Turkey Meatball “Stew”
These super juicy turkey meatballs are packed with flavour and comfort. This dish is sure to satisfy the whole family, including the most discerning of little palates.
This dish is easy, quick and packed with nutrition and flavour. By combining just a few ingredients, you will have a meal thrown together in no time at all. Thes best part? The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen, or prepped the night before and refrigerated. The bite-sized meatballs are made of lean ground turkey and aromatics, that are gentle enough for your little one, while still very flavourful for your enjoyment.
Step 1
Prep your ingredients.
1 lb ground turkey, lean
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices whole grain bread, finely shredded (use stale bread if you have some)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons parsley, divided
300g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1.5 L chicken broth, homemade or store bought (low-sodium)
300g small pasta (any small pasta will work) I used animal shapes found here.
Step 2
Combine the turkey, spinach, 1 tablespoon of parsley, bread, egg, onion, garlic and half of the parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
Step 3
Mix until the ingredients are combined, but don’t overmix the meat as it can become tough.
Season the mixture with a pinch of salt and a couple of cracks of pepper.
Step 4
Using a tablespoon or a small scoop, make bite-sized meatballs until the mix is used up. Put the meat balls on a plate, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Letting the meatballs rest like this is a crucial step. The bread will absorb a lot of moisture from the ingredients and bind the meatballs together.
*If you are freezing the meatballs for a later use, lay them out on a tray and freeze them for 24 hours until solid. Pack them into a freezer safe container or bag and store them for up to 3 months.
Step 5
Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
I used homemade chicken stock, but you can use store bought as well. Just try to find a low-sodium chicken stock especially if you are making this for kids.
Step 6
Gently lower the meatballs into the broth. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes before gently stirring them around. If you don’t wait a little bit, the meatballs could break apart.
Simmer the meatballs for about 5 minutes until they have some structure and appear “bouncy”. This will ensure that they don’t fall apart when you stir in the pasta.
Step 7
Pour the pasta into the broth. Stir the pasta through gently and simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked “al-dente”.
If you prefer the pasta a little more cooked (for babies) then cook to your liking!
The pasta will absorb a lot of the broth a thicken everything up significantly.
Season the stew to your liking!
Serve!
Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining parsley and parmesan cheese!
If you are serving this to babies, cut the meatballs according to Baby Led Weaning standards found here.
Turkey Meatball "Stew"
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, onion, garlic, egg, bread, spinach, 1 tablespoon parsley, half of the parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and a couple of cracks of pepper.
- Using a tablespoon or small scoop, make bite-sized meatballs with the mixture.
- Set the meatballs on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. For freezing the meatballs see the note.
- Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Gently lower the meatballs into the stock, do not stir them immediately as they may break apart.
- Simmer the meatballs for 2 minutes before gently stirring them around to prevent sticking.
- Simmer the meatballs for another 5 minutes until they have some structure.
- Pour in the pasta, gently stir the pasta through the meatballs.
- Simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked al-dente.
- Season to taste.
- Serve hot with remaining parsley and parmesan sprinkled over top.
Notes:
If you are freezing the meatballs, lay them out on a tray and freeze them for 24 hours before packing them into a container or freezer safe bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
522.62Fat (grams)
20.17Sat. Fat (grams)
6.03Carbs (grams)
38.86Fiber (grams)
4.56Net carbs
34.30Sugar (grams)
3.93Protein (grams)
47.36Sodium (milligrams)
2082.66Cholesterol (grams)
183.08Nutrition info is only an estimate, provided by a third-party service.
