I am so ready to share my first post here as a contributor! I figured Thanksgiving is around the corner so I used it as my inspiration. We usually spend Thanksgiving with family, but I wanted to create something that has the essence of Thanksgiving in one dish that can be loved and adored at a pre-Thanksgiving party with friends aka Friendsgiving. Hence, Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs with cranberry and gravy dipping sauces were born! I used cupcake toppers with fall leaves as toothpicks to create a more festive tone. These meatballs make a perfect appetizer and will definitely impress your friends. This recipe makes roughly 50 mini meatballs so invite all of your friends over and enjoy the holiday!
The day before cooking, leave out 8 slices of bread on a wire rack and let them dry out. You will need to flip them over one time. I like to lay them out in the morning and before I go to bed flip them over.
Chop the celery and onion and set aside in a bowl*.
*note: if you like a good crunch in your stuffing give the celery and onion a pretty rough chop like in the picture.
Use a serrated knife and cut the bread so they are about ¼ inch pieces. Place them in a separate large bowl.
Heat 1 ½ tbsp. butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté the onion and celery mixture for 5-7 minutes or until the onions become translucent and the celery slightly changes color. Add a good size pinch of salt once they are finished cooking. Add them to the bowl with the bread and mix.
Place the ground turkey, a bit of pepper and a hefty pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix using your hands. Add the sausage and break it up with your hands. Make sure it is fully incorporated into the turkey.
Place the bread mixture into the turkey and sausage mixture along with 1 ¼ tsp. of sage and mix together. Add the chicken stock slowly. We don’t want the mixture to be too wet. If it does get too wet add some breadcrumbs.
Preheat the oven to 330. Roll the meat and stuffing mixture so they are roughly the size of golf balls and place them on a baking sheet with a wire rack set on top.
Bake them in a 330 oven for 15 minutes. The meatballs should be slightly browned.
While the meatballs are baking, pour a can of cranberry sauce into a saucepan and heat. Stir occasionally.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat.
Once the butter has melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan. Whisk the butter and flour together until the flour has turned brown and the mixture is bubbling.
Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. When the flour mixture has dissolved into the milk, season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until thickened.
The gravy should coat the back of a spoon. You may have to add more milk, it really just depends on how thick you want your gravy.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. ground turkey
8 oz. mild Italian sausage
8 slices thick white bread
Half medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery
1 cup chicken stock
pepper
1-2 tsp. salt
1 ¼ tsp ground sage
1 can cranberry sauce, or any homemade cranberry sauce
For Gravy:
Butter
Flour
Milk
Directions:
The day before cooking, leave out 8 slices of bread on a wire rack and let them dry out. You will need to flip them over one time. I like to lay them out in the morning and before I go to bed flip them over.
Chop the celery and onion and set aside in a bowl*.
*note: if you like a good crunch in your stuffing give the celery and onion a pretty rough chop like in the picture.
Use a serrated knife and cut the bread so they are about ¼ inch pieces. Place them in a separate large bowl.
Heat 1 ½ tbsp. butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté the onion and celery mixture for 5-7 minutes or until the onions become translucent and the celery slightly changes color. Add a good size pinch of salt once they are finished cooking. Add them to the bowl with the bread and mix.
Place the ground turkey, a bit of pepper and a hefty pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix using your hands. Add the sausage and break it up with your hands. Make sure it is fully incorporated into the turkey.
Place the bread mixture into the turkey and sausage mixture along with 1 ¼ tsp. of sage and mix together. Add the chicken stock slowly. We don’t want the mixture to be too wet. If it does get too wet add some breadcrumbs.
Preheat the oven to 330. Roll the meat and stuffing mixture so they are roughly the size of golf balls and place them on a baking sheet with a wire rack set on top.
Bake them in a 330 oven for 15 minutes. The meatballs should be slightly browned.
While the meatballs are baking, pour a can of cranberry sauce into a sauce pan and heat. Stir occasionally.
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