Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
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The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021
I used to be one of those opinionated people who felt you shouldn’t sneak vegetables into your children’s food, but then I gave birth to a picky eater and all that righteousness went right out the window. Parenting is nothing if not humbling, right? These meatballs are a great way to sneak in some spinach, but what makes them really special is the addition of turkey sausage. Not only does the sausage make the meatballs tender, but it also adds great flavor without the need for a ton of other ingredients. Serve the meatballs with pasta, Parmesan smashed potatoes, or polenta and a big Italian salad, and dinner is served!
Table of Contents
“DELICIOUS!!!! I make a full batch and freeze for individual dinners. We serve it with zucchini noodles—really great twist on meatballs.”
What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, mix the egg with chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic.
Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Mix until evenly combined.
Form the mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls.
Broil the turkey meatballs until golden, about 10 minutes.
Then simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes more.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 3 ounces baby spinach, chopped (3½ cups whole; 1½ cups chopped)
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.25 pounds 93/7 ground turkey (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1.25 pounds Italian turkey sausage, removed from the casings (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (preferably whole milk but low-fat will work)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce, homemade or good quality store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack on the second-highest rack. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and grease with the olive oil.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, beat the egg. Add the chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into 1½ inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce in a large pan on the stovetop. Add the broiled meatballs and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen in their sauce for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 509
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 49g
- Sodium: 1409mg
- Cholesterol: 194mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These turkey meatballs were so delicious that all 34 disappeared with no chance of freezing leftover ones! —unfortunately I could not find the Shady Grove brand healthier turkey Italian sausages 🙁 so I substituted pork Italian sausage. I saw that Shady Grove has the Hot Italian turkey sausages as well, wish the surrounding grocers carried these.
thank you for another great recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe. We’ve made them so many times and they always turn out amazing. The only difference is that we swap out the turkey for morning star grillers crumbles and they are absolutely delicious. Can’t tell that they’re the vegetarian version. Always have successs with Jenn’s recipes.
Can I use Monterey jack cheese?
It will definitely give the meatballs a bit of a different flavor, but it will work. 🙂
I liked them better than hubby [healthy stuff doesn’t tickle his taste buds] so probably won’t make these again any time soon. Good to take to a pot luck though or having healthy eaters over for dinner.
Very good – made this several times, last time made them as turkey burgers, yum!
My family loves these! I add a little chopped Italian parsley. Great recipe!
I made these yesterday. Instead of meatballs, I made it into a meatloaf and it was delicious. I have leftovers for lunch and I’m looking forward to having it again.
Absolutely delicious! I used panko bread crumbs instead, added finely chopped crimini mushrooms, used white onions instead of scallions (Trader Joe’s is temporarily out of stock of them), ground chicken sausage instead of turkey sausage, & a couple dashes of red pepper flakes. Definitely bookmarking this recipe!
I have made these delicious meatballs several times to rave reviews. I often double the recipe, vacuum seal and freeze. Makes a quick and yummy dinner!
Hi Jenn, had asked you about using ground chicken and chicken sausage instead of turkey. Well, I went ahead and made it and my husband raved! Didn’t change anything else except I used 1lb of each meat instead of 1.25 lbs. Came out fantastic. Easy and lots for leftovers and to freeze. Thanks.
So glad they turned out nicely — thanks for reporting back! 🙂