Shop
The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
This seasonal meatball appetizer is made with a type of turkey that doesn’t get much love: ground turkey. To ensure every last one is eaten, these meatballs are cooked in a balsamic cranberry sauce that will leave you feeling thankful that I’m a part of your life. The sauce is incredible and could even be used as a BBQ sauce. Cranberry ribs? Count me in!
I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for any appetizer that features a meatball. These make the perfect small bite for any holiday get-together and they look stunning when plated. Toss them on a plate with a toothpick, freshly cut rosemary and cranberries, and you have a dish that looks like it came straight out of a magazine.
One ingredient I was thrilled to try in this recipe was Heinen’s brand new bread crumbs! Available in original and Italian, I opted for the Italian variety, which is bursting with flavor, making seasoning a breeze. Both are worthy of a spot in your pantry and meatballs!
Follow my bread crumb trail correctly and you’ll be in meatball paradise!
- Cook time:
- 20min
- Prep time:
- 10min
- Total time:
- 30min
- Servings:
- 16 Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup Heinen’s Italian bread crumbs
- 1 Heinen’s cage-free egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. orange zest
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
For the Balsamic Cranberry Sauce
- 1 can cranberry sauce
- Juice of ½ orange
- 1/4 cup Heinen’s chicken broth
- 1/4 cup Heinen’s balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Heinen’s honey
- 1 tsp. sriracha
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients, except for the turkey. Mix well, then add the turkey and mix with your hands. Do not over mix.
- Roll the turkey mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the cranberry sauce. Combine everything but the corn starch into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and two tsp. of water in a small bowl. Add this to the cranberry mixture and stir until thickened.
- When the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Coat the meatballs in the sauce and stir every few minutes.
- Serve with toothpicks and garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary. Enjoy!
Chrome
Firefox
Edge
What a great recipe and flavor profile. I made these gluten free by substituting gluten free panko bread crumbs and coconut amino acids instead of soy sauce. For the meatballs, I also added feta cheese and goat cheese and a couple of tablespoons of melted butter to make sure that the meatballs were not dry. I also added fresh sage and parsley.
For the sauce I used fresh cranberries and made the sauce with orange juice and fresh orange zest.
I tried to replicate a Thanksgiving dish in one crock pot (for serving) and it turned out great. It was raved by everyone. Thank you for the recipe!