Cheesy Turkey Meatball Skillet

Spaghetti sauce day has become a time honored tradition in our house.  We spend hours mixing together our trio of meat into perfectly round balls before popping them into a giant pot of sauce so it can simmer away on the stove all afternoon.   My pot of marinara slowly cooks down and thickens for the better part of an entire day.  By the time it's reduced to the perfect consistency and developed complex flavors, I've invested at least 8 hours into the preparation of this revered spaghetti sauce. 

To say that I treat the vibrant red sauce as though its liquid gold, would be an understatement.  My family teases me about being way too stingy with my precious sauce.  They are fully aware that if any trace of sauce is left on their plate after our spaghetti dinners, I will expect them to mop it up with a piece of crusty Italian bread.  I just can't handle the thought of wasting spaghetti sauce.  It's way too good for that.  

My mom's spaghetti sauce recipe is one recipe that I don't mess around with.  The only issue that I have is that sometimes, we run out of meatballs before we run out of sauce.  I'm hesitant to try and adjust the meatball to sauce ratios though, so occasionally I'll make batch of extra meatballs to add to my sauce.   These turkey and sausage meatballs were a delicious addition to our spaghetti dinners. 

I served these meatballs and sauce along with a side of Italian bread for dinner.  My family LOVED the idea of having a meal centered around meatballs without pasta.  I packed up the leftover meatballs in ziploc bags, popped them in the freezer and served them with my prized spaghetti sauce when I ran out of of meatballs.  

Cheesy Turkey Meatball Skillet
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup whole wheat panko
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 garlic cloves, grated
Sauce:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella cheese

Combine turkey, sausage, panko, parsley, pecorino, seasoning, salt and garlic.  

Form into 18 meatballs.

Brown meatballs in skillet coated with cooking spray.  (2 min. on each side)

Remove meatballs from skillet and add oil and smashed garlic to pan.  Cook 2 min. 

Add tomatoes and return meatballs to skillet. 

Cover and simmer until cooked through. 

Uncover and add mozzarella.  Cover and cook until melted. 

Garnish with chopped parsley. 

Serve right out of the skillet or transfer meatballs to a bowl. 

If you prefer, you can always serve pasta with your turkey meatballs. 

I've only got a 2-3 containers of spaghetti sauce and meatballs in my freezer right now so it won't be long before I have another sauce day.  Having an adequate supply of spaghetti sauce stored in my freezer helps me sleep better at night.  Spaghetti sauce is my ultimate comfort food.  

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe