Saturday, January 7, 2012

Spinach Artichoke Meatballs

While these were great last night when I made them, the leftovers today were AMAZING! After sitting in the sauce overnight and being reheated for my breakfast (umm, and maybe my lunch as well) they were just fantastic. Great flavor and texture! Perfect to make a big batch of as stand-by protein in the fridge!

Spinach Artichoke Meatballs
3 Good Size Handfuls of fresh Spinach
1 Egg
1 Clove of fresh Garlic
4 Tbsp Dried Sweet Basil
2 Tbsp Dried Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp Dried Chopped Onions
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Can Artichoke Hearts (drained)
3 lb Ground Meat (I like a combo, so I used 1/2 Turkey and 1/2 GF Beef)

Place spinach, egg and all seasonings in the food processor. Allow spinach to breakdown to a paste and all seasonings to be distributed evenly.
Add in ground meat and combine until it is evenly dispersed.
Add in the can of artichoke hearts and pulse till they are broken up and distributed, but not completely chopped.
You want some bigger chunks of artichoke.
 Allow mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours to let the flavors meld.
 Form meat into desired size balls and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are almost completely cooked through. The time will vary depending on the size you make, as well as the type of meat.
 Place in a large pot and add in tomato sauce of your choice and allow them to finish cooking in the sauce.

 Serve as is or on top of spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. Enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. These sound Amazing!! Making them for Sunday dinner. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. These look amazing! Plus, artichokes make everything better.

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  3. I agree, Sarah. You can't go wrong with Artichokes!

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  4. What size is your food processor? Mine is a 7 cup I think and I had trouble fitting it all in. I ended up doing the meat in batches and then mixing it together by hand. It's melding in the fridge right now, can't wait to cook them for dinner!

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    1. Mine is 12 Cups; sorry, I should have included that in the recipe! Hope you enjoy them as much as we all do... that is what we are eating tonight, too! :-)

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  5. I just found your recipe! They are going on my to-do list

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