Twisted Turkey Balls + Leftovers, It’s What’s For Dinner

Growing up Tuesday’s and Wednesday night meals were often Sunday reheats or leftovers. I always say that eating like a peasant never tasted so rich. Often times for dinner we ate stale bread with tomatoes, pasta with potatoes, canned tuna with olives and sauce, fagioli and leftover Sunday dinner bits and pieces. Our meals were home cooked every night of the week and rooted in preparation, leftovers and simplicity. This is how I developed my cooking style once I was able to understand how I was using food to support me emotionally. Now this process supports me emotionally, creatively and in an entirely new way. 

This Sunday I didn’t hold a dinner, but I did make a pot of sauce. Red sauce is a regular mindless refrigerator/freezer staple, I never go a week without it because it can be combined with pasta, eggs, beans, veggies, chicken, meat or fish on a weeknight for dinner. I also roasted spaghetti squash (along with many other veggies) and was staring down a pound of turkey chop meat in the freezer. 

I went ahead and tossed spaghetti squash with red sauce and shredded mozzarella thinking I’d make a faux pasta bake with turkey meatballs. To my delight and surprise, I was able to whip up these veggie filled meatballs and bake them in under 30 minutes. How’s that for a transformation Tuesday meal?! 

Using some of my Sunday prep (sauce + squash), cheese from my refrigerator staples and turkey meat from my freezer (I always keep at least 1 lb of ground beef and turkey at all times, as well as individually wrapped chicken breasts and/or thighs and a few pieces of fish) to make tonights dinner.

The point, a little Sunday cooking and a little preparation can put ease into your weeknight meals.

Learn how to stock and cook with me, so it doesn’t feel like the first time every time.

And try these turkey balls on for size! 

Get in the kitchen.

XO

Ingredients

•  1 lb ground turkey meat
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 c. defrosted frozen chopped spinach, all water squeezed out or 2 cups fresh spinach quickly steamed until wilted in the microwave - then cut up with scissors 
• 8 T. almond meal 
• 3 T. whole grain dijon mustard
• 2 T. olive oil 
• 3-4 c. roasted spaghetti squash
• 1 1/2 c. red sauce
• 1/2 c. mozzarella or almond milk mozzarella shreds 
• 1/4 c. pecorino cheese

For Twisted Turkey Balls

• Preheat the oven to 350
• In a large mixing bowl, combine: ground meat, egg, garlic powder, salt, spinach, almond meal and dijon mustard 
• Roll into 2” balls, 1 lb of meat makes 15-16 balls 
• Place on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil
• Bake 15-17 minutes 
• Remove from the oven and put aside 

For The Spaghetti Squash Bake

• Combine 1 c. of sauce and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella to a large mixing bowl with the pecorino cheese
• Transfer mixture to a cast iron pan or stoneware/baking dish coated with non-stick spray and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella 
• Coat the turkey balls in the remaining sauce and place on top of your spaghetti squash
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted through and bubbly