Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
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The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021
I used to be one of those opinionated people who felt you shouldn’t sneak vegetables into your children’s food, but then I gave birth to a picky eater and all that righteousness went right out the window. Parenting is nothing if not humbling, right? These meatballs are a great way to sneak in some spinach, but what makes them really special is the addition of turkey sausage. Not only does the sausage make the meatballs tender, but it also adds great flavor without the need for a ton of other ingredients. Serve the meatballs with pasta, Parmesan smashed potatoes, or polenta and a big Italian salad, and dinner is served!
Table of Contents
“DELICIOUS!!!! I make a full batch and freeze for individual dinners. We serve it with zucchini noodles—really great twist on meatballs.”
What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, mix the egg with chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic.
Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Mix until evenly combined.
Form the mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls.
Broil the turkey meatballs until golden, about 10 minutes.
Then simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes more.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 3 ounces baby spinach, chopped (3½ cups whole; 1½ cups chopped)
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.25 pounds 93/7 ground turkey (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1.25 pounds Italian turkey sausage, removed from the casings (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (preferably whole milk but low-fat will work)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce, homemade or good quality store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack on the second-highest rack. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and grease with the olive oil.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, beat the egg. Add the chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into 1½ inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce in a large pan on the stovetop. Add the broiled meatballs and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen in their sauce for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 509
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 49g
- Sodium: 1409mg
- Cholesterol: 194mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Before the Christmas holidays I made and froze a double batch of these meatballs to have a head start on dinner preparation with our family here for about 10 days. The meatballs were a great hit, but we didn’t need all of the meatballs so I still had a bag in the freezer in January. A family emergency sent us out of state with little notice, so I grabbed a cooler and put the meatballs in with a box of pasta and a jar of marinara, and was able to have a supper ready in minutes after we arrived. My sister said several times that they were the best meatballs ever! (We agree.) And I was glad to be able to help.
Judy,
Did you freeze them before or after cooking? If after, how did you reheat? If before, did you defrost them before cooking?
Hi Michelle, Jumping in because I happened to see your question. I always freeze some after cooking fully in the sauce. Just defrost before reheating. Tastes great!
This is an excellent recipe and my family loves it. Question: There are two types of Italian Turkey Sausage at my store – Sweet and Hot. Would you recommend either or a mixture?
Hi Vanessa, glad you like the meatballs! You can use either the hot or sweet turkey sausage– totally a personal preference.
Fantastic meal. Cooked all the meatballs and them froze 1/2 for a later.
Fabulous! One of my favourites! Just made a batch for company staying at our house to celebrate my daughter’s wedding.
Hi Jenn,
My family loved these meatballs. I made the suggested menu of the turkey meatballs, parmesan smashed potatoes and Italian salad. They loved everything!! I had to fib to my son and tell him the spinach was basil so he would eat them. He’s very fussy and not adventurous at all but he loved the entire meal. Thanks for another great recipe.
The receipe was easy and the meatball were delicious!!! I will definitely make the meatballs again.
I don’t have fresh spinach but I have frozen so how much would I use and do I drain it.
Hi Pamela, It’s hard to say exactly but I’d probably use about 1/3 cup, drained. Hope that helps!
Really liked this, nice change from spaghetti meat balls. My daughter said “keep this recipe”. Glad I’m on your email list. Thank you.
What would you consider a good quality marinara sauce? There are so many out there. Thanks for your help. I love your recipes!
Hi Carol, I always buy Rao’s or Victoria marinara sauce – both are very good. Hope that helps and glad you are enjoying the recipes :).
If I don’t use the sausage, is there anything else to substitute or just leave it out?
barbara
Hi Barbara, You could use additional ground turkey in place of the sausage but they won’t be nearly as tender or flavorful.