Turkey Meatballs

We had whole wheat spaghetti and turkey meatballs for dinner tonight.  Since there are several sporting events going on tomorrow I thought it would be good to get some carbohydrates and protein in those bodies.  Spaghetti and meatballs isn't a regular dish around here so it was a treat for the boys and they loved it.  Whole wheat spaghetti has been the norm here for several years so they probably don't even remember what regular spaghetti tastes like.  I like the texture of whole wheat pasta better myself, it is a bit of an acquired taste but it was probably one of the easiest switches we made as far as eating healthier.  The turkey meatballs were new.  In the past we would use a combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage for our meat sauce.  Today I did the turkey meatballs and I threw in a few sausage meatballs for old time's sake.  Just in case the turkey meatballs caused some kind of mutiny.  Overall I would say it was a success.  Two out of three boys agree turkey meatballs are good.  The third boy, not so much.  The fourth boy lives on his own now and will eat anything so I know if he were here he would have liked them too.  They are definitely more dense than a regular meatball and have a drier texture but these will be added to the rotation.  So here is the recipe (as taken from The Gracious Pantry website).

1.5 Pounds lean, ground turkey

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1.5 Cups Clean tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil - this isn't necessarily a clean sauce)

1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese (I didn't use this in the recipe, but the boys sprinkled it on their servings)

In a large mixing bowl, knead the turkey together with the spices.  Roll meat into 22, walnut sized meatballs and place in a single layer in your crockpot.  Pour the tomato sauce over the top, being sure to cover the meatballs evenly.  Sprinkle the cheese across the top and set the slow cooker to low heat for 4 hours. 

Nutritional Content (for 2 meatballs as per The Gracious Pantry website)

Calories: 117

Total Fat: 6 g

Carbohydrates: 4 g

Dietary Fiber: 1 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 12 g