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spaghetti sauce

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

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Today, I turn over a new leaf. My goal is to prepare meals for the upcoming work week! The challenge? To make all of our meals low-carb.

After snagging marked down ground turkey from Target ($2 off!), I knew I had the base for what would become delicious Chicken Parmesan Meatballs hot from the oven!

This recipe is incredibly simple to prepare and includes easy clean-up, a win-win, right?! I know you’re a hard-working, busy home cook and the last thing you need is a complicated dinner recipe. I can help!

Begin by setting out all of your ingredients, grab necessary utensils including a large mixing bowl, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, all you need to do is mix all of the ingredients (except the sauce and some of the cheese) with your hands in the large bowl. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Later, place medium size meatballs on the baking sheet, top with jarred spaghetti sauce and a bit of shredded parmesan.

Feel free to add more sauce than I did, if you prefer.

Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, remove the meatballs from the oven and cover in a tablespoon of more spaghetti sauce and a heaping amount of shredded mozzarella, and a bit more shredded parmesan. Return the baking sheet to the oven, but turn the oven setting to broil. Watch the meatballs closely and remove them once the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

The meatballs slide off the foil easily.

You could garnish with more chopped fresh parsley if you would like to add color! Either eat the meatballs by themselves or add them on top of a bowl of pasta and more spaghetti sauce. The Chicken Parmesan Meatballs could also be served inside a toasted, halved baguette to make it into a sandwich. (We’re really trying to eat low-carb meals so we nixed that idea, but boy would it be scrumptious! While these meatballs have bread crumbs, we’re not serving ours on pasta or as a sandwich thus cutting significant carb intake.)

Add these meatballs to your spaghetti sauce for dinner pasta or eat them individually as a hearty small plate.

When the work week leaves you feeling drained and you can’t find the energy to make dinner, Chicken Parmesan Meatballs is a grab and heat-up dinner option that goes well over al dente pasta or inside a crusty bread baguette!

14 meatballs

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Melted cheese and tangy sauce make these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs a scrumptious dinner option.

15 minPrep Time

17 minCook Time

32 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
  • 2 T. chopped onion
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 c. shredded parmasen
  • heavy pinch of kosher salt
  • heave pinch of ground pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped
  • 1 T. Italian seasoning
  • 1 egg whisked
  • Jarred spaghetti sauce
  • 1 c. shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degress.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.
  3. Mix all of the ingredients, expect the spaghetti sauce and mozzarella, in a large bowl by hand until well incorporated.
  4. Form medium sized meatballs by hand and place on the foil lined baking sheet.
  5. Top each meatball with about a teaspoon of spaghetti sauce and lightly sprinkle parmesan on top.
  6. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove the meatballs from the oven, top with more sauce and add a heaping amount of mozzarella on top of each one. Set the over to broil.
  8. Broil the meatballs on the top shelf for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly, golden brown.
  9. Serve the meatballs warm or add to pasta with more sauce.
7.8.1.2
88
https://onedelightfullife.com/chicken-parmesan-meatballs/

Nutrition

Calories

2489 cal

Fat

71 g

Carbs

177 g

Protein

173 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce

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This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for information. 

Bolognese, or ragu, is a meaty tomato based pasta sauce that can be served on your preferred pasta. Often created with beef and some kind of sausage, it typically includes a tomato paste, chopped vegetables, and a liquid such as broth and/or wine.

When I began to make Cooking Light’s 2014 recipe for Beefy Bolognese over Penne Pasta, I quickly realized that I was out of red wine. The horror! So, I substituted more chicken stock in its place. Instead of using ground beef, I used ground turkey. The addition of chopped center cut bacon completed the meaty trilogy. Incorporating finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, and garlic elevated the flavors and was a sneaky way to include more vegetables into our dinner entree.

I think you’ll enjoy my Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce, a healthier, alcohol-free version of the Cooking Light recipe. Thick in consistency, it can be layered on top of freshly cooked pasta or nestled between lasagne noodles. The longer it simmers on the stove, the better it tastes at dinner time.

Top with shredded parmesan (optional) and more flat leaf parsley.

I like to organize my ingredients before starting the cooking process so I diced all vegetables and opened cans and jars before turning on the stovetop. This kind of preparation makes cooking much easier and enjoyable. You don’t feel rushed in a panic when preparing multi-step recipes like this one.

I chopped the raw bacon into small pieces before adding them to a medium-high dutch oven pot.

After cooking the bacon for about five minutes or until it reaches the crispness you prefer, add the ground turkey and Italian sausage. Cook six minutes or until brown. You will have to continually stir it to get it to crumble and cook evenly.

The Italian sausage leaves just enough grease in the pan once browned to cook the vegetables in the following steps but not enough grease to ruin the recipe.

After the meat has cooked thoroughly, remove it from the pan and set aside. Immediately add in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to saute for about five minutes.

Chopped your vegetables so that they are all the same size to guarantee that they cook evenly.

Add tomato paste and sauté while mixing one minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook one minute, scraping the pot to loosen any browned bits.

Make sure to stir frequently.

Return the beef mixture to the pot and stir in the chopped tomatoes, pepper and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook one hour. Make sure to stir the sauce several times to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Then, cook pasta according to package directions. Once the hour has expired, spoon the bolognese on top of your pasta of choice. Garnish with shredded parmesan and flat leaf parsley.

4 cups

Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce

An even lighter version of Cooking Light's meat bolognese sauce. The perfect slow simmer Sunday dinner!

30 minPrep Time

1 hr, 30 Cook Time

2 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 3 chopped center-cut bacon slices
  • 8 oz lean ground turkey
  • 4 oz ground Italian sausage
  • 1 1/2 c finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 c finely chopped carrot
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1/4 c unsalted tomato paste
  • 1/2 c unsalted chicken stock
  • 1/3 c. dry red wine (I used more chicken stock)
  • 1 (14.5oz) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz. pasta
  • chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)
  • 1 T. shredded parmasen (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place bacon in a Dutch oven or deep pot with a lid over medium-high heat.
  2. Saute 5 minutes until crisp.
  3. Add ground turkey and ground sausage to pan and cook 6 minutes or until browned.
  4. Stir until it crumbles.
  5. Remove meat mixture from pan.
  6. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; saute 1 minute.
  7. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
  8. Return meat mixture to pot; stir in tomatoes, pepper, and salt.
  9. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 1 hour, stirring several times.
  10. Cook pasta according to box directions. Serve bolognese on top of pasta and top with optional parmesan and chopped parsley.
7.8.1.2
66
https://onedelightfullife.com/dutch-oven-bolognese-sauce/

Nutrition

Calories

1957 cal

Fat

61 g

Carbs

121 g

Protein

94 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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Healthy Turkey Meatball Sandwiches

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Healthy comfort food.

Is there such a thing? Yes! If you swap the ingredients you use in a traditionally fattening comfort food for healthier options, you can! Gobble up my Healthy Turkey Meatball Sandwiches for lunch or dinner and feel good doing it. Of course, I needed something to wash these babies down with so I opted for a cold, light beer.

These turkey meatballs are crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. Tasty!
These turkey meatballs are crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. Tasty!

In this recipe I use skim milk instead of heavy cream, low-fat shredded mozzarella, and ground turkey instead of fatty ground beef. The fresh herbs are aromatic and take basic turkey meatballs to the next level. Use fresh herbs, people! It makes the difference.

Tip: Let your eggs reach nearly room temperature for better results.
Tip: Let your eggs reach nearly room temperature for better results.

Rolling your meatballs in a bit of all-purpose flour is the key to a getting a crispy exterior. Once in the pot, rotate them often even allowing them to stand on end. Don’t walk away from the stove because you need to move the meatballs often using tongs.

Don't crowd your meatballs.You'll need room to turn them often to brown all sides.
Don’t crowd your meatballs.You’ll need room to turn them often to brown all sides.

Once the meatballs reach that beautiful golden color on all sides, remove them from the pan and let them rest. (Don’t worry if the meatballs are a bit soft on the inside still because they will finish cooking in the spaghetti sauce.)

Unlike beef meatballs, these babies are not as greasy so you don't have to place them on a rack to cool.
Unlike beef meatballs, these babies are not as greasy so you don’t have to place them on a rack to cool.

Finished cooking off the meatballs, add all of them back to the pot. Add your preferred jarred spaghetti sauce to finish cooking them on a low simmer with the lid on until you’re ready to make a sandwich.

Want perfectly browned mozzarella cheese and a slightly crispy bun? Place your meatball sandwiches under the broiler for a couple minutes or place them in a toaster oven on the broil setting. Watch them closely!

Use a spoon to gently and evenly coat the sauce on the meatballs.
Use a spoon to gently and evenly coat the sauce on the meatballs.

healthy-turkey-meatballs5 copy

Don’t forget to garnish your finished meatball sandwich with a tablespoon of chopped basil.

20 meatballs

Serves 6-7 sandwiches

Healthy Turkey Meatballs Sandwiches

20 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 c. shredded low-fat mozzarella
  • 1 T chopped basil for garnish
  • 1 pkg Pepperidge Farms Top Sliced Hot Dog Buns
  • 1 jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
  • Meatballs:
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 T. fresh oregano
  • 2 T. fresh chopped basil
  • 3 diced garlic cloves
  • 2 T. parmesan
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/2 c. skim milk
  • 3 T all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Using your hands, make meatballs (slightly larger than a golfball) and place them in a slightly flour glass 9"x11" pan. Once all the meatballs are made, roll them around in flour to coat evenly.
  3. Add 2 T. olive oil to large pot. Bring to medium heat.
  4. Once at temperature, add 7-8 meatballs. Be careful not to crowd them.
  5. Rotate the meatballs until they are golden on all sides. Continue to add more olive oil to the pot before adding additional meatballs.
  6. Remove them from the pot and let them rest on a new glass pan.
  7. Finish cooking all meatballs.
  8. Reduce heat to low and add spaghetti sauce and return meatballs to the pot.
  9. Cover and let simmer at least 10 minutes.
  10. Add two meatballs into a split top hot dog bun and top with any extra sauce from the pot.
  11. Top with low-fat shredded mozzarella and put in a toaster or oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese to a bubbly golden brown.
  12. Remove sandwich and sprinkle with chopped basil for garnish.
  13. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use use ground beef rather than turkey. If you roll the basil leaves like a cigar and then run your knife through them, you can chop it easily into ribbons. Parmesan is salty so you cold eliminate the 1 tsp salt in the meat mixture.

7.8.1.2
31
https://onedelightfullife.com/turkey-meatball-sandwiches/

Nutrition

Calories

401 cal

Fat

5 g

Carbs

74 g

Protein

14 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Easy Cheesy Tortellini Bake

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Trust me when I tell you that this “get-it-on-the-table-good” pasta is the easiest side dish I’ve ever made, next to Ramen noodles in college. Bonus? EVERYONE loves Easy Cheesy Tortellini Bake.

These little pockets of gooey cheese are easy to bake with just a few ingredients in fifteen minutes flat. I make this dish when I need some hubby grub in a hurry. On Trisha Yearwood’s cooking show, I saw that her husband, Garth Brooks, adds tortellini to everything from breakfast bowls to salads. He might just be on to something. Smart man.

Everyone is a fan of this cheesy side dish. Eat it alone and it's dinner. No leftovers tonight!
Everyone is a fan of this cheesy side dish. Eat it alone and it’s dinner. No leftovers tonight!

Ingredients

  • 18 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 8 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 3-4 fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 c. shredded colby-jack cheese (mozzarella can be used instead)
  • 2 T grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook tortellini according to directions and drain water.
  3. While the tortellini is cooking, warm up the cream cheese and spaghetti sauce in a saucepan on low. Stir until the cream cheese combines with the sauce completely. Your mixture may be slightly lumpy.
  4. Add cooked tortellini to saucepan mixture, stir. Sprinkle 2 T. graded parmesan on to the mixture, stir.
  5. Transfer mixture into a 8x8 glass dish. Top with sprinkled colby-jack cheese.
  6. Bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes. Serve with freshly torn basil on top.

Notes

Substitute mozzarella for colby-jack cheese. This is a super easy and quick side dish or lunchtime entree. If you need a protein, add Italian sausage or pepperoni.

7.8.1.2
16

https://onedelightfullife.com/easy-cheesy-tortellini-bake/

Everyone is a fan of this cheesy side dish. Eat it alone and it's dinner. No leftovers tonight!
Everyone is a fan of this cheesy side dish. Eat it alone for dinner. No leftovers tonight!