Chicken Spinach Meatballs

Before I started making this dish, the thought of using ground chicken never crossed my mind. After all, ground beef has been a staple in American cuisine for ages, but the chicken variety is a relatively new concept. Chicken is more nutritious and healthy in comparison to beef and you can substitute the poultry for the beef in many of the same ground meat recipes, as I've done with this one.

I first got this idea from Rachel Ray, who taught me a very important life lesson in nutrition: making things yourself is a much healthier alternative than eating previously prepared foods because you control what's in it. This dish is healthy, versatile and delicious. Everyone I've made it for has loved it and I'm sure that if you give it a try you will too.

Meatballs have always been a staple in my Italian-American family. I grew up loving my nana's all-time tastiest meatballs and it's her recipe that I use when I make my own. This recipe is a spin on the traditional meatball and makes a great addition to a pasta meal or as an appetizer, as well. Chicken and spinach meatballs are delicious, healthy and versatile and once you try em', you're surely gonna love em'.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

2 eggs

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Handful of breadcrumbs

Handful of grate parmesan cheese

½ small chopped onion

1 slice of any type of bread, pre-soaked in water

Dash of Allspice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly

Form meatballs by hand in any size you wish and place in baking pan

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes

The recipe is that simple! I often serve this dish as a main course with a side of pasta, but I don't always use tomato sauce, though that works, too. Since these aren't your ordinary meatballs, it can be fun to try the meatballs and pasta with out of the ordinary sauces as well. Chicken or turkey gravy works great, as does pesto, alla vodka, au jus or just plain butter sauce. The possibilities are literally endless! The chicken spinach meatballs also make a great hors d'ouevre, served as tiny, bite sized meatballs on a fancy toothpick with either a hollandaise or a béarnaise sauce for dipping. Give them a try at your next cocktail party and wow your guests.

For more of my humble recipes, check out Collected Works: Recipes