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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Just finished a double recipe of these wonderful gems and the kitchen smells divine!! They’re delicious, keep well in the freezer, heat nicely in sauce from a jar; just mash some potatoes with garlic and parm and, voila!!, it’s dinner. Good for family, great for company … doesn’t get any better! Thanks,Jen.
I made these meatballs (added some fresh basil to the sauce), the parmesean mashed potatoes and Italian salad for a friend who was recovering from surgery and her family. It turned out amazing! They loved it all! Thanks for all of the great recipes.
Love these meatballs – my family gobbles them up! Keep the recipes coming 🙂
I have made these twice and they are delicious. I have added them to a spaghetti dinner and used the left over meatballs to make sub sandwiches the next day. melted some cheese under the broiler and my kids said they were to die for.
Made these for the first time last night. YUM. I’m trying to do gluten-free so I substituted oat bran for the bread crumbs and no one noticed 🙂
Also, I baked them on a rack so they wouldn’t sit in the drippings.
I didn’t think the husband would like them because it was turkey but he loved them.
Thank you so much!!!
It’s the broiling beforehand that makes all of the difference people – just sayin! (I add a little balsamico to my sauce though.
These are some delicious meatballs! They are very easy to make, although it took me longer than the 40 min as per recipe. I guess I need more time to chop the spinach and smash the sausage by hand. I used all the various cheese leftovers I had in the fridge, made my own quick sauce and paired with pasta. The result was excellent and the kids loved it, plus I have extra left for tomorrow! I bet they are delicious cold too! Thank you Jenn for another great recipe!
Is there a way to lower the sodium? It is extremely high.
Hi JoAnn, yes, the sodium is quite high for these. You could use low sodium marinara sauce, which will help a little. The cheeses also adds a lot of sodium and I’m not sure there are reduced sodium options out there.
I love these! The best meatballs ever! Making them again tonight! A double batch! Cheese is high in Sodium naturally. Not everyone has a huge issue with this, and to give 2 stars for what is an excellent recipe is insulting. You could also have gone and researched lower sodium cheese/sauce options yourself to substitute and then added that into the comments like many take the time to do and share. Collectively these recipes and their clear, simple to follow picture directions, allow for easy and primarily healthy home cooking. Possibly replacing take-out and packaged/processed meals for some (me, at least) Many low sodium/low fat/low carb, but also low flavor recipe sites out there if that’s your thing. Many you have to pay for as well and/or they sell your name/email. Not every recipe is for everybody, but seems obvious that Jenn puts great effort into making a recipe taste it’s best while keeping it as healthy as possible. I greatly appreciate her doing this, as do most. So once again thank you Jenn for your hard work and for being gracious to boot.
A truly delicious meatball. It has become the go-to for all family pasta nights as well as a great addition to Italian wedding soup – just make them smaller. I make a double batch and freeze them. Also make a great meatball sub. Thanks, Jen….you never disappoint!
Love, love Shady Brook turkey sausage. The next best thing to port sausage! Especially the Italian Spicy! Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
meant pork sausage!!