Sicilian Spice Meatballs

Sicilian Spice Meatballs

I love taking recipes from books and magazines and putting my own twists on them.  Giada de Laurentis is one of my favorite Food Network chefs and when it comes to making an Italian dinner, I often find myself flipping through one of my books with her name on it.
This recipe started out as Giada's Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs and I've been tweaking and twisting it for about a year now.  Last night, we finally decided that this recipe has reached its pinnacle, and its ready for us to share!  Enjoy!

Sicilian Spice Meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 60 minutes / Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Sicilian Spice Meatballs

• 1 cup (measured dry) brown rice
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup (or other Tomato Soup)
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1-2 tsp. red chili flake (optional to your preference)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped into large pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Steps:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil.  Add the rice and toast for 3-4 minutes on high heat, stirring constantly.  Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the tomato soup.  Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the rice is soft and all the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the heat, stir and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, milk, ketchup, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, scallions, parsley, egg, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning and red chili flake.  Season well with salt and pepper and mix everything together with your hands until combined.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Roll the turkey into 1" meatballs with your hands and place them in the pan.  Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side, until brown and cooked through.  Cook the meatballs in batches if necessary.
4. When the last of the meatballs are cooked, add the rest into the pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the broth.  Add about 2 cups of the cooked rice and stir well to combine.  Stir in the chopped Roma tomatoes, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese and the chopped basil until combined.  Finish with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve. 

Sicilian Spice Meatballs