I’ve been experimenting with ground chicken and ground turkey a lot lately. Why? Because my picky husband only eats ground beef. He won’t eat steak, so I figured hey– if he’ll eat ground steak (which is what ground sirloin is anyway), why not ground chicken or turkey? These yummy meatballs will be on the menu tonight, and I’ve got a hunch he’ll love them.
Meatballs like this are also great for freezing. I like to portion them into individual servings and then microwave them. They’re much healthier than anything you’ll find in the frozen aisle and they’re ready to go in about one minute in the microwave. Yummy and healthy? Yep!
I decided to stuff these babies with a little extra cheese. They turned out perfectly! They’re not greasy at all and that little surprise of extra cheese inside is really nice.
Seriously. These are super kid friendly and are even great for company. Flax seed provides a healthy dose of omega 3s and is also low in carbs. Your taste buds and your waist will be equally happy with these!
Provolone-Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup ground golden flax seed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup no sugar added marinara sauce (I used Ragu Light No Sugar Added)
- 3 slices unsmoked provolone cheese (about 2.25 oz.)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×9 (approx.) baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg, flax, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands as your would meatloaf mix until all ingredients are mixed well.
3. Rip provolone into small pieces (about 1/2 inch) and set aside.
4. Form the meatball mix into medium sized balls, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter (should make about 14 meatballs).
5. Stuff two or three small pieces of provolone into the center of each meatball, being careful to encase it in the middle so that it’s not sticking out.
6. Place meatballs in the baking dish with sides touching. Top each meatball with a tablespoon of marinara sauce and a small piece of provolone cheese.
7. Bake meatballs at 350 on the middle rack for approximately 25 minutes. Remove meatballs from dish and serve over gluten-free pasta, a spinach salad or just by themselves.
Nutrition (1/6th of recipe): 210 calories, 3 g carbs, 2 g fiber (1 g net carbs), 11 g fat, 22 g protein
