'Marry me' meatballs
Serves: 4
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Mike Sim
'Marry me' meatballs
Juicy meatballs in a rich, creamy sauce delicious enough to inspire marriage proposals! Serve with crusty bread for mopping, or with steamed green veg
Serves: 4
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
745Kcal
Fat
45gr
Saturates
19gr
Carbs
16gr
Sugars
7gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
67gr
Salt
2.8gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 30g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 50ml milk
- 50g parmesan, finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp Italian-style herb blend
- 1 x 500g pack 7% fat turkey mince
- ½ tsp fine salt
For the sauce
- 100g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped, plus 3 tbsp of oil (from the jar)
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp Italian-style herb blend
- 200ml chicken stock (made using ½ a stock cube)
- 150ml double cream
- 15g parmesan
To serve
- small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
Step by step
- Line a plate or small baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 10 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, garlic and dried herbs. Add the turkey mince, the salt and some black pepper, then use your hands to combine, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Using damp hands, take small portions of the turkey mixture, shape into balls and arrange on the plate or baking tray – you should have 16 meatballs in total. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes, using tongs to carefully turn them occasionally, until browned all over and just cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, loosely cover and set aside.
- n the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil. Add the onion and cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the tomato purée, garlic and dried herbs and cook for a further minute. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, cook for a further minute, then stir in the stock and cream. Briefly bring to a very gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened.
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Add the meatballs to the pan, along with any juices. Turn to coat in the sauce and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes so that the meatballs are completely cooked through. Stir the parmesan into the sauce and scatter with the basil to serve.Prefer to use the slow cooker?Add all the sauce ingredients, except for the cream and parmesan, to a slow cooker. Stir together, than add the shaped meatballs (you could brown the meatballs before adding but it’s not essential). Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Stir in the cream and parmesan, then cook for a further 15 minutes. Scatter with the basil to serve.
