Gobble Gobble Balls

Name: Gobble Gobble Balls
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 pounds ground turkey; 2 cups Garlic Croutons (page 119) or stuffing cubes; 1 cup dried cranberries; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage; 2 teaspoons salt; Pinch of ground cinnamon

January 24, 2012

All the flavors of our favorite holiday in the perfect package. Ground turkey, stuffing, dried cranberries, plus a pinch of homey cinnamon come together for a fall favorite with none of the fuss. While roast turkey can often be dry, these balls stay nice and moist. Serve these as minis for an hors d’oeuvre or for a cozy Sunday-night meal paired with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Honey-Roasted Pecans (page 90) and Candied Yams (page 82).

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground turkey

2 cups Garlic Croutons (page 119) or stuffing cubes

1 cup dried cranberries

2 large eggs

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Step 2
Combine the ground turkey, croutons, cranberries, eggs, bread crumbs, sage, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 3
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball–size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Step 4
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Step 5
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsMeatball Ground Turkey Turkey Poultry Main Dinner Nut Free Roast Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Recipe notes