Turkey Meatballs From ‘A Girl Called Jack’

Turkey is a less fatty, cheaper meat alternative, but still delicious and a great protein source. It’s also a lighter alternative to beef and pork meatballs. For the recipe, click <a title="recipe" href="http://www.motherandbaby.com/2014/05/turkey-meat

by Jack Monroe |
Published on

Preparation Time

25 minutes

Serves

Makes 20

Nutrition

N/A

Puree

Blend a cooked meatball with some of the tomato mixture.

Finger Food

Chop a meatball up into pieces, or make a couple that are slightly smaller for your baby to pick up more easily.

Ingredients

  • 1 x 400g tin of baked beans or haricot beans

  • 1 onion

  • 1 chilli (optional)

  • 1 slice of bread

  • A handful of fresh parsley

  • 1 tbsp flour, plus extra to shape the balls

  • 500g turkey mince

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

The beans in this dish help to make your turkey meat go further, which means it's even better value for you and your family

  1. Drain and rinse the beans, put into a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for five to 10 minutes until tender. Drain the beans and tip into a mixing bowl, then mash to a pulp.

  2. Peel and finely chop the onion and finely chop the chilli, and toss into the mixing bowl with the bean pulp. Grate in the bread, finely chop the parsley and add that too.

  3. Add the flour and stir to combine. Add the mince and mix well with a wooden spoon or – as I prefer to do – use your hands.

  4. With lightly floured hands to prevent sticking, form the mixture into balls. Around one tablespoon of mixture will make a decent sized meatball. For little mouths, use a teaspoon – these also cook faster!

  5. Fry the meatballs in the oil in a frying pan for 10 minutes on a medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, then stir through a tin of chopped tomatoes and cook for five minutes until the fluid has reduced. Serve with spaghetti.

Recipe extracted from A Girl Called Jack by Jack Monroe (Michael Joseph, £12.99).

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