When your Italian husband loves your new meatball recipe…you know you have a winner! Yipppppeeeee.
I have never been a big ground beef fan…so we typically make meatballs with ground chicken. You certainly can sub in lean ground beef or pork or whatever suits you in this recipe for the ground chicken. I personally find ground chicken breast to be more flavorful than ground turkey. We use it all the time to make burgers and even meatloaf (another one of my husband’s favorites)! For this recipe, I seasoned up the ground chicken with Bell’s Seasoning, a delightful blend of ground rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme & pepper. I use Bell’s Seasoning to flavor up my Thanksgiving bread stuffing too. It is so good!
I added a little crumbled Feta cheese, garlic infused oil, chopped fresh baby spinach & kale leaves and cooked quinoa to the meatball mixture. Then, I rolled the meat into golf ball size meatballs and first baked them up. (FYI: I didn’t overcook the quinoa–as it does cook more when the meatballs are simmering in the oven.)
After baking the meatballs, I added them to my cast iron skillet that was full of a simple homemade marinara style sauce. FODY foods has an ah-mazing marinara too, if you’d rather simplify the meal prep. (Disclaimer: FODY is a client and the above link is an affiliate.) Simmering the meatballs in the oven slow cooks them a bit more. The fresh spinach and kale keep the meatballs moist along with the marinara sauce ‘bath’ the meatballs are sitting in! I made my simple & quick tomato sauce with my favorite… Pomi brand finely chopped tomatoes and a hint of basil and oregano to add some spice along with a quick shake of Parmesan cheese. If you are in need of following a dairy-free diet–just don’t add the Feta or Parmesan to the recipe (no problem!)
We ate these meatballs with a nice side salad. They also make a delicious appetizer or fit nicely into a suitable roll or bun for a more hearty meal.
These meatballs are yummy, healthy & low FODMAP.
Ingredients
- Makes 18-20 meatballs; Serves 4-5
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup baby spinach &/or baby kale, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon Bell's Seasoning (or use an equivalent mixture of ground rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme & pepper)
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons garlic infused oil
- 1 egg, optional
- 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes (I used Pomi brand; select brand without added onion &/or garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In medium size bowl, ground chicken, quinoa, baby spinach/kale, Bell's seasoning, Feta, 2 teaspoons garlic infused oil and egg, if using.
- Form golf ball size meatballs, and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs for about 15-20 minutes.
- While meatballs are cooking, add Pomi tomatoes to cast iron skillet (9 inch diameter) or oven safe skillet.
- Add 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil, basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese; stir to blend.
- Remove meatballs from oven, and add to skillet. Cover skillet with aluminum foil.
- Place cast iron skillet in oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
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Martha Souza
These are delicious. A great alternative to the beef meatball which, I find, causes gastric distress.
Thanks Kate
katescarlata
So glad you liked them, Martha!
Louise Wolfe
I was told that the feta cheese has higher lactose than cheddar and Swiss, so people who are lactose-intolerant might want to be careful. Do you have different information on lactose content? Are some feta products better?
katescarlata
Louise the amount of lactose in feta cheese is quite low.
Mary Anne
Do think these meatballs (or any of your other meatball recipes) will freeze well after they are cooked? I am trying to compile a list of low fodmap entrees that I can freeze and re-heat for hectic week nights. The meatballs seem like a good option!
katescarlata
Yes, they should freeze well, Mary Anne!