Looking for a filling, crowd-pleaser?  Meatball parmesan is the answer.  Of course, in my house, you have to make some adjustments to make sure everyone will eat it…I made the meatballs on the stovetop first.  Then, I took half of them and covered them with sauce and fresh mozzarella and put them in the oven.  Also, while I really like the “secret ingredient” cinnamon in the meatballs, my kids don’t enjoy it as much, so I replaced the cinnamon with garlic powder.  Everyone ended up happy!

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Basic Meatball recipe in How to Cook Everything

 2 packages ground turkey

1 cup milk

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

½ cup minced onion (I skip)

Pinch of cinnamon (I skip for parmesan version)

Salt, pepper, garlic

Olive oil and butter for cooking

3-4 cups marinara sauce (homemade or 24 oz jar store bought)

Mozzarella – 1.5 cups shredded or sliced fresh mozzarella

Grated parmesan

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey with milk and breadcrumbs.  Add a lightly beaten egg and mix.  Add salt, pepper, and garlic (or cinnamon).  Once fully combined, form meatballs (approx. 1.5 inches) and place on a plate.

Heat a large skillet to medium on the stove with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and as many meatballs as will fit in one layer in the pan.  Cover the pan to allow the meatballs to cook through.  Add butter as needed to keep the meatballs from burning.  Once the meatballs are browned on the bottom, use tongs to turn them over, adding more butter.  Adjust the heat lower, if needed.

You will need to cook the meatballs in 2 batches.  The first batch can be used for the meatball parmesan.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place a small amount of oil on the bottom of a cast iron pan, then place a layer of meatballs in the pan.  Coat with sauce.  Then, cover with shredded or fresh mozzarella, and sprinkle approx. ½ cup of grated parmesan.  Place in the oven for approximately 5-10 minutes for the sauce to heat and the cheese to melt.  Once the cheese is melted, turn to broil to get the cheese to brown for about 2 minutes.

The second batch can be left without sauce for your picky eaters.  I serve mine with spaghetti.

For a one-dish meal, you can cook the meatballs in the sauce on the stovetop.  Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over medium heat in a cast iron pan.  Add the meatballs in a single layer, cover, and simmer.  Flip the meatballs after approx. 10 minutes.  Cook for approx. 20-25 minutes total until meatballs are cooked through.  Add the cheese and cook in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and brown as above.