Spaghetti & Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
Well happy Friday! After all these sweet treats I’ve been posting, I thought I would leave you a healthy dinner idea for the weekend. And by healthy I mean relatively low fat. I use the word “healthy” very loosely, don’t I? Oh well…I’ll be sure to have a ridiculous dessert to post on Monday! One that’s “healthy”! 
These turkey meatballs are delicious…and easy! But more importantly, delicious.
They are garlicky, moist, tender and filled with cheese. What person doesn’t love cheese stuffed into their food? It’s brilliant! Whoever first thought of that deserves a metal. Just sayin’….
So, there are a lot of the usual culprits that you would typically find in balls o’ meat that are in this recipe: ground turkey, onion, garlic, egg, seasonings, blah blah blah. BUT, why is my recipe different, you ask? Well, my friends, I use bread. Not breadcrumbs. Bread. 1 slice to be exact. And I take said slice of bread and soak it in milk. Milk?! Yes! Milk! It’s a great trick to keep your meatballs extra moist. Sounds kinda sketchy, but I assure you it works wonders!
Don’t believe me? Make ‘em and see! Also, have I ever lead you astray? NEVER!
It’s not my style.
I personally LOVED these with marinara and spaghetti and so did the other two family members I gotta feed. We ate our dinners happily! Hope your family loves this recipe as much as mine did! Have a great weekend!
Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
yield: 4-6 servings
Print This Recipe
Ingredients:
1 slice white bread
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
24-1/2 inch cubed mozzarella cheese
1 jar marinara sauce, warmed
1/3-1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
Tear slice of white bread into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Pour milk over top of the bread and let it soak while you chop the onions and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients {excluding the cheese} into the bowl and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly combined. Scoop the meat mixture by the tablespoon into your hand and place a cube of cheese in the middle. Press the meat all around the cheese to cover completely and roll into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet and continue stuffing the meatballs with cheese until you have 24.
Bake for 20-23 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Serve with marinara and spaghetti.
Meatballs stuffed with cheese. MEATBALLS STUFFED WITH CHEESE.
I can’t see what I’m typing through the tears.
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Oh Bev! You crack me up!
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Cool! I would have loved this as a kid!
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This looks so good! I love the idea of stuffing cheese inside your meatballs – I also use the bread trick as well and you’re right, it makes the meatballs so moist.
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
Glad you’ve heard of the bread/milk trick too! It really makes such a difference!
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Oh mama! Now I started craving cheesy meatballs so my pasta with feta cheese and spinach will be postponed and I am SO gonna make this recipe tomorrow!
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
I dunno…that pasta sounds pretty tasty!
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I just had lunch and this made me hungry. Love it!
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
Lots of recipes do that to me!
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This recipe looks delicious! I haven’t used ground turkey for meatballs yet, just turkey burgers. With the burgers, I love the flavor, so I am super excited to try this! Stuffed with cheese, even better!!
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
Hope you like them, Gina!
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Oh man, everything is better stuffed with cheese, isn’t it?
This is making me so very hungry, right when I’m trying again not to eat after 8 pm…probably not the best time to be catching up on the best food blogs, is it.
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
Lol! I try and not eat after 8 pm too! It only usually happens half the time!
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These look amazing, Lauren! Have a wonderful weekend:-)
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
Thanks, Lauren! You too!
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Ok YUM. I think I’m going to make these this week.
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
I hope you do! We can be addicted together!
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These look SO SO good!
Alisa
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:52 pm
Thanks Alisa!
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This is just what I was looking for! I really wanted a spaghetti and meatballs recipe with just a little twist. And this fits the bill perfectly
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:52 pm
Awesome! Glad you found the recipe!
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I am going to make those meatballs FOR SURE!!!!! I love stuffed meatballs, especially ones that can be done in the oven. Cooking meatballs on the stove is always a pain in the a**.
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:47 pm
Cooking meatballs in the oven is such a time saver! Hope you like them, Jolene!
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Brilliant. Now I just need to buy everything for these…like now…
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Lauren — September 12th, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Lol! If you do end up doing that, let me know how you like them!
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Ugg, they look sooo good! Evening hunger pains are kickin it!
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Hi! Just wanted to let you know I featured this recipe on my blog as part of the Crazy Cooking Challenge! They are fabulous!!
http://kitchenjoyblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/spaghetti-with-mozzarella-stuffed.html
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I made these tonight for dinner, and your minestrone last week. Safe to say your food blog has become my favorite!!! My family loves the recipes and are raving about the food. Can’t wait to explore the rest!
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Lauren — July 15th, 2012 @ 8:22 pm
Aw, thanks so much Kristen! Glad your family likes what you’re cooking up!
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