Italian Chicken Meatballs Recipe {or a quick and yummy dinner}

I love to cook. But I also am pressed for time. So I love recipes that do double duty {hehe...I said duty. Sounds like dooty. Yes, my humor is as sophisticated as a 12 year old boy's.} or that freeze beautifully. This delicious Italian Chicken Meatball Recipe comes together quickly, freezes like a dream, is a healthier alternative to traditional meatballs, and is tasty to boot!

These meatballs use ground chicken. You could also use ground turkey or even ground beef. I HIGHLY prefer ground chicken to turkey. Ground chicken is moist, and has a more mellow flavor. Ground chicken is also easy to find these days. I picked mine up at Target! Also, these little gems are baked. Frying them in the pan is an option. But to me, baking them is fool-proof. Its so much easier and healthier {no oil}.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan

1 tbsp. basil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes {or more to taste}

1 egg

All all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together with your hand.

Shape into balls and place on a greased baking sheet or a silicone baking mat. {I like to use my silicone baking mat so the cheese that oozes out gets all crispy and yummy.} One pound of ground chicken will get you 12 golf ball sized meatballs.

Bake in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. You can either split one open to make sure its cooked through or use a meat thermometer to check that its at an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.

If I really have things together, I like to bake these guys during nap time. Then, I throw the meatballs I want to use that night for dinner into a pan with spaghetti sauce {jarred...shhh don't tell}. Then, I simmer them on low until dinner time. If I don't have it together, I just throw them on the plate straight from the oven. They still taste great.

To freeze these guys let them cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. Then wrap them up in tin foil and store in a freezer bag. When I'm looking to use them {meatball subs anyone?}, I let them defrost in the fridge. You can throw them in the sauce to warm up/simmer.

What's your favorite recipe that you freeze? I'm always on a look out for a good recipe that I can freeze leftovers!

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