UP TO PARM
Chicken Parmesan meatballs a delicious riff on a classic
Chicken Parmesan meatballs served over pasta
Chicken Parmesan is my go-to order at our favorite Italian restaurant. It starts with a bed of carbs, then it's topped with crispy, seasoned chicken breasts, rich spaghetti sauce and tons of melty mozzarella. My mouth waters just thinking of it. Chicken Parmesan meatballs put a fun twist on this classic dish. The meatballs in this recipe incorporate all of the normal breading ingredients as the binder, and they are extremely flavorful. You can easily substitute ground turkey — I couldn't find ground chicken recently —but whichever you use, get a mix of light and dark meat (not extra lean) because poultry has a tendency to get dry.
I usually serve this dish over pasta. You could also opt for carb-friendly zoodles, or the meatballs would be excellent served as a sandwich on a hoagie bun.
Chicken Parmesan meatballs
Ingredients
■ 2 large eggs, beaten
■ 1 pound ground chicken (white and dark meat)
■ 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
■ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
■ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus basil leaves for garnish
■ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
■ ½ teaspoon black pepper
■ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
■ 2 medium garlic cloves, grated
■ 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ¼ cups), divided
■ 2 tablespoons olive oil
■ ½ cup dry red wine
■ 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
■ 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
Directions
Combine eggs, chicken, prosciutto, panko, basil, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic and half of the Parmesan in a large bowl. Gently mix with your hands to thoroughly combine, taking care not to overmix. Shape into 12 to 14 balls (about 2 ounces each).
Preheat oven to 450 F. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Cook meatballs in a single layer, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add wine to skillet; cook, scraping bottom of skillet to release browned bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce.
Arrange meatballs in skillet in a single layer; turn to coat in sauce. Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven; bake until mozzarella cheese is melted and beginning to brown and internal temperature of meatballs registers 165 F, 10 to 14 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of mozzarella over the top and garnish with basil leaves. Adapted from southernliving.com.
