Sunday, September 18, 2011

Aiming for Thanksgiving Meatballs

Hey everyone! This week for my PIGskin Challenge I was dying to try some turkey meatballs hoping they'd remind me of Thanksgiving dinner. I loaded these up with celery, onion and Bell's Seasoning...
$64,000 Question:
Can anyone tell me why ground turkey just isn't the same as whole turkey? 
While they didn't remind me of Thanksgiving they are very good, 
I wouldn't hesitate to make these again and serve them over rice for dinner!

One last artsy pic:
thanks for humoring me, you guys are the best:@)
Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 C onion, finely diced
1/2 C celery, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp Bells Seasoning, or other poultry seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 Tblsp olive oil
2 Tblsp water
1 can turkey gravy
  1. Mix everything except the last three ingredients. This will be very sticky.
  2. Chill for 20 minutes in the freezer.
  3. Pour some flour into a bowl, coat hands with flour and start rolling meatballs. I dropped the meat in my hand and sprinkled some flour over each meatball before I rolled it. The meat is still soft, it will be sticky.
  4. Heat a skillet to medium, add olive oil and begin browning the meatballs. Go slowly, it will take maybe 15 minutes to brown them. 
  5. Once browned remove any oil that may be in the pan (I really didn't have any).
  6. Add the water and immediately cover with a lid. Let the meatballs steam for 10 minutes while occasionally shaking the pan. 
  7. Add gravy, doctor it up as you'd like (I added a little more Bells Seasoning, a bit of turkey base and some black pepper), heat through while scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
Have a happy day!

20 comments:

  1. May I ask you the 64001 question??? When are you going to invite me for dinner??? :D , have a blessed special Sunday, hugs, Flavia

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  2. Oooh, I think these would go perfect over rice! I can almost smell them!!!
    Enjoy your Sunday.

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  3. Another wonderful dish!! I never need to buy another cook book again....I'll just visit your blog when I'm stuck for what to cook.
    Loved your Autumn poem in the last post. You are very creative!
    Jane

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  4. Hi lovely lady.
    Your Turkey Meatballs look so good!! yummy !! I hope you have a great week coming up. Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my fall tablescape.
    XXOO Diane

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  5. I'm with another commenter ~ Why buy any cookbooks when we have you.
    Yummo.

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  6. Well...I don't know whether I want to eat that or frame it.

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  7. I wonder if the ground turkey doesn't taste the same because it has a lot of non-meat stuff in it. I think it's mostly dark meat, and they also put the skin and offal into it as well. I wonder if you can find ground turkey breast? It's dry, but you could mix both kinds together, or something!!!!!

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  8. They may not be the same but they sure look good. Would a little cranberry sauce on the side help. That always makes me think of the holidays (which will be here before we know it BTW)

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  9. These sound delicious. It took me a while to get used to ground turkey, I still remember my first experience with it :) but I enjoy it now. I make them for an appetizer with a sauce made from a can of whole berry cranberry sauce and a jar of chili sauce. xo,

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  10. Don't know how they taste but they sure are pretty. You take great food pics. I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food other than pumpkin pie.

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  11. Nom nom nom nommmmmmmm.
    I love turkey and eat it all year long but always at Thanksgiving and Christmas...the whole bird.

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  12. I think it's because there's not all the trimmings :).

    Great picture with the glass plate. The most artsy meatballs I've ever seen.

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  13. O, Lynn...I've tried and I've tried to like ground turkey. It just does not taste good..by the time I get the words, "ground turkey" off my lips, I am done with it. Don't wanna cook with it, don't even like turkey lunchmeat...I barely eat a little bit of white from the Thanksgiving turkey. Just not my meat...
    However, I do love the dressing and cranberry sauce that go along with it.
    xo bj

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  14. Well, YUMM! I want to be invited too!

    Nancy

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  15. After I read what Kris Watson said, I am never buying it!
    :(
    I grind my own chicken when I need it. That way I know it is just chicken breast.
    And what's with all the recalls of ground turkey? Yuck
    Now enjoy those yummy turkey balls! :)

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  16. Beautiful presentation!! I have trouble with ground turkey. I guess I just expect it to taste like turkey breast. But these meatballs look delicious!!

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  17. Your mini meatballs look very appetizing, Lynn! I love to add mini turkey meatballs to soups.

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  18. They look very yummy, and I have no idea why it tastes different in ground form. Something to ponder...
    Lisa

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  19. Yum, I bet they would be delicious over rice for supper!!! :D

    Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!

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Thank you for stopping by-enjoy your day!