Savory Tofu & Turkey Italian Meatballs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I am always trying to find news ways to use ground turkey meat. Today I decided to make an Italian spin on a Italian meatball. I made the portions a bit larger and placed them in a cupcake pan. Cooking them in this way is a lot easier because the portions are uniform and cook evenly. Just set your oven timer and walk away. Pair these simple little meatloaves with garlic mashed potatoes and you are set. I like to finely chop 12 cloves of garlic and cook them in a little olive oil. After they are cooked through, add a bit of salt and drain off the excess oil. Make up a big batch of mashed potatoes and toss in the cooked garlic. So good!
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup extra firm tofu, press out most of liquid
1/2 onion, diced finely
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch parsley, chopped finely
3 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
8 tbsp bread crumbs, adjust if necessary to firm up meatballs
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese1/2 onion, diced finely
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch parsley, chopped finely
3 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
8 tbsp bread crumbs, adjust if necessary to firm up meatballs
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8-1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 pinch each salt and pepper
6-1 cup servings of garlic mashed potatoes
Directions:
1 pinch each salt and pepper
6-1 cup servings of garlic mashed potatoes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place tofu between several paper towels and press out excess liquid. Continue process until almost all liquid is removed. Crumble with your fingers and place in a large mixing bowl.
Lightly grease 1 12-cup muffin tins or a broiler pan.
Add turkey, onion, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, bread crumbs, ricotta, syrup,basil, oregano, salt and pepper into mixing bowl with tofu. Mix until completely combined. You can add additional bread crumbs if the meat will not stick together in a meatball. Wet your hands and form the turkey mixture into approximately 12 portions. Place the balls into the prepared muffin cups or onto the broiler pan and bake for 13-16 minutes, or until fully-cooked and juicy. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes. The meatloaves will be somewhat soft, so you may need to use a tablespoon to get them out of the cups.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with marinara sauce and garlicky mashed potatoes. Enjoy!