Recipe for Phase One Turkey Meatballs with Romano Cheese and Herbs

Ground turkey is something I've been working hard to gain an appreciation for, since I know it's low in saturated fat (therefore South Beach Diet friendly.) I was intrigued when Sarah from Cucina Bella posted Healthy and Tasty Turkey Meatballs and said her kids gobbled them up, and I also liked the sound of thyme and Worcestershire Sauce in turkey meatballs. In the end I made my meatballs a little different than Sarah, since I wanted a phase one recipe, and I fried them in a little olive oil for a browner look, but there's no doubt my meatballs are the offspring of the ones Sarah made. I loved these meatballs, even though I wasn't completely thrilled with the photos, which I thought almost made them look burned. I promise they aren't burned, but you can make yours a bit less brown if you'd like. And if you're a mom with kids who's trying to cook something that's kid-friendly and South Beach Diet friendly both, I bet these meatballs will do the trick.

Start by mixing together granulated garlic, rubbed sage, dried rosemary, and dried thyme in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grinding until it's in fairly small pieces. Then add that to the ground turkey, along with 1/2 cup finely grated Romano (or Parmesan-Romano) cheese.

Mix together with your hands, then roll into meatballs. I used a soup spoon to scoop out the meat, and roll them into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches across, but you could make them a little smaller if you wanted.

I browned the meatballs in a small amount of olive oil, turning often and cooking them about 15 minutes. Be prepared for some of the melting cheeze to ooze it; it will firm and brown on the outside of the meatballs. Use a meat thermometer to test one meatball, or cut one in half to be sure they're done inside.

Phase One Turkey Meatballs with Romano Cheese and Herbs
(Makes about 30 medium-sized meatballs, about 6 servings. Recipe adapted from Healthy and Tasty Turkey Meatballs at Cucina Bella.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 cup Romano (or Parmesan-Romano) cheese (You don't need freshly grated cheese for this recipe.)
1 tsp. granulated garlic (I would not substitute garlic powder)
1 tsp. teaspoon rubbed sage (or less)
1 tsp. dried rosemary (or less)
1 tsp. dried thyme (or less)
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 tsp. olive oil, for frying the meatballs

Instructions:

Take ground turkey out of the refrigerator, put into medium sized plastic bowl, and let come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes. While turkey is coming to room temperature, put granulated garlic, dried sage, dried rosemary, and dried thyme in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until it's fairly fine. (If you're making these meatballs for kids, I would use a smaller amount of herbs, especially the sage and rosemary, since those are fairly strong flavors.)

When meat is room temperature, sprinkle ground herbs and Romano or Parmesan-Romano cheese over the meat. Beat together egg and Worcestershire sauce, and pour over. Wash hands, then use your hands to mix the herbs, cheese, and egg mixture into the ground turkey. (Try not to overmix, just squeeze together until it's combined.)

Use a spoon to scoop out same-size pieces of meat and form into individual meatballs by rolling them between your hands. (The mixture will be soft, but it will firm when the turkey is cooked.) When all meatballs are rolled, heat 1 T (3 tsp.) olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. I fit all the meatballs in one pan, but if your pan isn't big enough cook them in two batches because you need enough room to turn them constantly as they're cooking. (Add the additional tsp. of olive oil if needed.)

Fry meatballs over medium heat, turning every few minutes to a new side, until all meatballs are well browned and done through, about 15 minutes. Cut one in half to be sure the inside is done, or test with a meat thermometer to be sure the temperature is at least 165F for ground turkey. Serve hot. These would taste great with Tzatziki Sauce or Market Street Grill Creamy Cucumber Sauce.

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South Beach Suggestions:

Adding Romano or Parmesan-Romano cheese to the meatballs does add some fat, but I still think this is an acceptable choice for any phase of the South Beach Diet or any other low-glycemic eating plan. Romano cheese is quite a bit lower in fat than Parmesan, but if you can't find it, Parmesan-Romano is a good substitute.

More Healthy Recipes with Ground Turkey:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate from Kalyn's Kitchen
Healthy and Tasty Turkey Meatballs from Cucina Bella
Turkey-Escarole Soup from The Perfect Pantry
Spicy Grilled Turkey Burger with Coleslaw from Simply Recipes
Easy Turkey Meatballs from Erin's Kitchen

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