No Fry Turkey Meatballs
Meatballs have been a family favorite since I was a child. It wasn’t until I was an adult, that I learned that most meatball recipes call for frying the meatballs before they are added to the marinara sauce! These meatballs eliminate that step and also eliminate excess—heartburn inducing—fat in the process. Marinara sauce can be a big trigger for GERD sufferers, but there are some tricks to make your spaghetti dinner less likely to repeat on you.
First—if not using fresh tomatoes, select canned tomatoes that do not contain citric acid. Citric acid is a ph balancer for canned goods but is also a known trigger for heart burn and indigestion.
Second—be mindful of your seasonings. Fresh onions and garlic can cause regrets later. I use a small amount of powdered onion here and skip the garlic in favor of dried herbs.
Third—watch the total fat. I use enough olive oil to carry the flavor of the sauce but not too much. I also use a lean ground turkey instead of the classic higher fat beef and pork combination. Fat relaxes your lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acids to flow back into the throat resulting in the telltale burn of heart burn.
Finally and most importantly—plan your day. If you suffer from GERD and want to enjoy a trigger food like marinara sauce with fewer regrets, limit trigger foods in the rest of your meals that day. Also, don’t overeat and give yourself plenty of time to digest your food before you lie down or engage in strenuous activity.
These simple meatballs come together quickly and are reduced in fat. Their reliance on dried herbs and canned tomatoes makes them a great winter pantry dish or last minute meal. The cooking technique results in moist meatballs every time, without frying or extra fat. Do not use lower than 94% lean ground turkey or they will be dry and crumbly.
Click here to watch the video version of this recipe!
Directions:
Tomato Sauce
Inspect your tomatoes for contamination. Dice and transfer to a 5 ½ quart dutch oven.
Bring to a simmer on medium heat.
Add bouillon cubes and olive oil and stir. Return to a simmer.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for at least 25 minutes while you prepare the meatballs.
Before adding meatballs, use an emersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. (If using a food processor or traditional blender, let sauce cool 30 minutes before transferring to machine. You can also use a potato masher to mash the sauce into a chunky style sauce if desired.)
Return sauce to a low simmer before adding the meatballs.
Meatballs
Place crackers, onion powder, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper in food processor. Process until fine. (You can also put all of these in a gallon size zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.)
Transfer to a bowl and stir in grated parmesan until fully combined.
Place Ground Turkey in a large bowl.
Whisk two eggs until homogenous. Add to ground turkey. Lightly work turkey and eggs together until eggs mostly disappear. Add Cracker Mixture and work to combine. Stop as soon as mixture is combined. Do not over mix!
Using a ¼ cup measure or portion scoop dipped in water, portion 16 balls of meatball mix onto a lightly oiled tray or platter. Dip hands in cold water and roll mounds between palms to smooth the meatballs. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator while you finish preparing the sauce.
Carefully use tongs to place meatballs in the simmering sauce. Try to get them into one even layer and make sure all meatballs are submerged. This will happen if you use a sufficiently large flat bottomed pot. Do not stir meatballs!
Cover and let simmer on medium low for 15-20 minutes before checking. Meatballs should swell and rise above the sauce when cooked. Check temperature with an instant read thermometer. Meatballs should register 165° fahrenheit in the center.
Serve with spaghetti, other pasta or polenta. Also makes great meatball sandwiches!
(Serves 5-8)
Ingredients:
Meatballs
2 lbs. (896 grams) 94% Lean Ground Turkey
60 grams of saltines (about 18 crackers)
2 tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 ½ tsp Table Salt
¼ tsp Fine Ground Pepper
2 Large Eggs
56 grams grated Parmesan Cheese
Tomato Sauce
3: 28 oz cans whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
2-4 Low Sodium Vegetable Bouillon Cubes (do this to taste, each brand varies in concentration)
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tsp of salt (or to taste depending on the sodium in the Bouillon cubes)
Meatballs have been a family favorite since I was a child. It wasn’t until I was an adult, that I learned that most meatball recipes call for frying the meatballs before they are added to the marinara sauce! These meatballs eliminate that step and also eliminate excess—heartburn inducing—fat in the process. Marinara sauce can be a big trigger for GERD sufferers, but there are some tricks to make your spaghetti dinner less likely to repeat on you.
First—if not using fresh tomatoes, select canned tomatoes that do not contain citric acid. Citric acid is a ph balancer for canned goods but is also a known trigger for heart burn and indigestion.
Second—be mindful of your seasonings. Fresh onions and garlic can cause regrets later. I use a small amount of powdered onion here and skip the garlic in favor of dried herbs.
Third—watch the total fat. I use enough olive oil to carry the flavor of the sauce but not too much. I also use a lean ground turkey instead of the classic higher fat beef and pork combination. Fat relaxes your lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acids to flow back into the throat resulting in the telltale burn of heart burn.
Finally and most importantly—plan your day. If you suffer from GERD and want to enjoy a trigger food like marinara sauce with fewer regrets, limit trigger foods in the rest of your meals that day. Also, don’t overeat and give yourself plenty of time to digest your food before you lie down or engage in strenuous activity.
These simple meatballs come together quickly and are reduced in fat. Their reliance on dried herbs and canned tomatoes makes them a great winter pantry dish or last minute meal. The cooking technique results in moist meatballs every time, without frying or extra fat. Do not use lower than 94% lean ground turkey or they will be dry and crumbly.
Click here to watch the video version of this recipe!
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