Taste of Home
Italian Turkey Meatballs
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 45 min. Cook: 4 hours
YIELD: 12 servings.
What's not to love about moist and tender homemade Italian meatballs? Because they're made with lean turkey, they're lower in saturated fat, too! —Mary Berg, Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Ingredients
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3 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
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1/2 cup fat-free milk
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2 pounds lean ground turkey
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1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
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2 large eggs, lightly beaten
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
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SAUCE:
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2 medium onions, chopped
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1 medium green pepper, chopped
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2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes in puree
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2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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1 tablespoon sugar
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2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
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2 bay leaves
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Hot cooked pasta
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Additional minced fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
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1.
Preheat broiler. Combine bread and milk in a large bowl; let stand until liquid is absorbed. Add next eight ingredients; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls; place on a greased rack of a broiler pan. Broil 5-6 in. from heat until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes.
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2.
For the sauce, in a 6-qt. slow cooker, mix the next nine ingredients. Add bay leaves and meatballs; gently stir into sauce.
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3.
Cook, covered, on low until meatballs are cooked through, 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaves. Serve with pasta; if desired, sprinkle with additional parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
3 meatballs with 2/3 cup sauce: 239 calories, 8g fat (2g saturated fat), 85mg cholesterol, 588mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 4g fiber), 22g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch.
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