We’ve almost made it to the end of another week and whether that means you’re thinking about an easy dinner you can make to get you through till Saturday or something fun to eat at home this weekend, I’ve got the perfect recipe for either occasion. These Turkey Meatball Sliders make for a fun, quick and DELICIOUS meal, even your littlest munchkins will love. Mine sure do.
When I first saw this recipe in Cooking Light magazine, ages ago, I was super excited to try it because I am a big, big fan of the slider. How could anyone not be?? It’s a mini burger in just the perfect size so you can have one, two, maybe even three. But who’s counting? Plus, they allow for endless possibilities in regards to changing up the toppings. One of my favorites are Kobe beef sliders with caramelized onions, like the decadently delicious kind you enjoy in trendy restaurants. YUM. Well, I don’t eat out in those kinds of restaurants too much any more with two little ones, and not at all these days, but I’m happy to say that doesn’t mean we’re not enjoying sliders in all forms at home.
Today’s recipe is no exception. And what I think is even cooler, is I posted this recipe on my first blog, almost 9 years ago. That was pre-kids right after we got married. And well let’s just say, my cooking has had to adjust a tad to fit the palette of the littlest members of our crew, since for example, they don’t necessarily love the idea of just a salad for dinner. But, I’m happy to report, this recipe has stood the test of time even with the addition of kids.
Now, as far as ingredients and how these are made, these are a little lighter than your standard meatball. The turkey and the ricotta are responsible for that. I do love a good beef burger, but it’s nice to change it up with a healthier option, especially for weeknight cooking. And I find that when done right, turkey makes for a great substitute for red meat in many recipes. I really missed having easily accessible ground turkey while living in Istanbul. And to make up for it, there’s not one but two forms of turkey in these, ground turkey and turkey Italian sausage.
For the rest of the ingredients we’ve got fresh parsley and basil, a little panko, some onion and garlic action and the previously mentioned ricotta. The addition of a little ricotta really helps to make the turkey extra moist so they melt in your mouth. And the combo of it all with some homemade or store-bought marinara on top smushed between lightly toasted slider buns is so scrumptious. And just to get a little fancy and not only make it prettier, but make that herbaceous flavor pop, I like to tuck a few basil leaves right under the meatball, just like you would some lettuce.
I think you’re going to really enjoy these. They are tender and juicy and have a great burst of fresh flavor from the herbs and truly are all the fun of a burger without the beef and have a little Italian flare. Try them today or this weekend paired with a tasty salad or some colorful roasted peppers for a great summer dinner.
Turkey Meatball Sliders
These Turkey Meatball Sliders are tender and juicy and make for a fun, quick and DELICIOUS meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps olive oil, divided
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz ground turkey
- 8-9 oz turkey Italian sausage* about 2 links (casings removed)
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim is ok too)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup panko
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce *
- 12 slider buns toasted **
- 24 medium to large basil leaves 2 for each slider
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C.
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In a medium-large saucepan, saute the onion in 1 tbsp of the oil until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. Add the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Set the pan aside to use again later.
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Add the ground turkey and sausage and the next 8 ingredients (through the egg) into the mixing bowl. Mix by hand or use a spatula until everything is just combined. Shape the mixture into little meatballs, using the size of your sliders as a gauge as to how big to make them. (I like to use a small cookie scoop for this.) You should be able to get about 14-16 meatballs. At this point you can either move on to the next step and bake them right away or cover them in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use later that day.
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Drizzle the rest of the olive oil directly over a medium sized sheet pan or line it with foil first, for easier clean-up. Place the meatballs on the pan, with about an an inch between each one. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. (They are done when the internal temperature registers 165F and a meatball in the center of the baking sheet is fully cooked inside when sliced in half.) Once they are done, heat the marinara in the same pan you used for the onions and carefully add the meatballs to the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook just for a few minutes gently rolling the meatballs in the sauce.
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Toast the buns if desired, then top the bottom half of the bun with 2 basil leaves, a meatball and a little bit of the sauce. Try not to put too much sauce or the buns get too soggy.) Place the other half of the bun on top and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*I used homemade marinara but your favorite store bought will work too.
*You can use a total of 1lb of ground turkey if you do not have turkey sausage.
**My favorite bun for this recipe is Martin’s Mini or “Party” PotatoRolls.
Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2012
