For the most part, my diet revolves around not eating meat and I’m okay with that. Until that is, I get a craving for strange things, like meatballs.
Growing up, I really can’t even remember eating meatballs- the whole concept was strange and reminded me far too much of meatloaf. Then one night while working at the bakery, I tried one and was smitten. I’m pretty sure that was the only time I had ever eaten a meatball.
Kind of like my doughnut craving the other day, I started craving meatballs. Since chicken is the only meat I eat (and the only meat I can get that is ethically raised), I set out to make chicken meatballs. I had skeptics (you can’t make chicken meatballs) but the end result was delicious and even the skeptic though so! Perfect for a meal (I paired mine with homemade fries) or great as an appetizer!
A side note about ingredients. I know it seems pointless to have vegan Worcestershire sauce for meatballs but this is great for the vegetarian dishes I make that call for it. Also, not all ketchup is created equal. So many brands have high fructose corn syrup and a main ingredient but luckily Heinz started making one that only had sugar. While I prefer other brands or even homemade- this makes for a great substitution in a pinch.
- 2 slice bread
- ½ medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 none egg
- 1 can 8oz pineapple pieces- no sugar added
- Sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup natural sugar
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- pinch cayenne pepper
- Pre-heat oven to 400˚.
- In a small skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic, cooking until onions become translucent (3-4 minutes.) Set aside to cool slightly.
- Using a food processor, turn bread into crumbs (if you don’t have a food processor, just shred with your hands.) In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Shape into 12 meatballs and place in a 9×13 pan. Sprinkle pineapple pieces over meatballs.
- Whisk together ingredients for sweet and sour sauce, adjusting sugar and pineapple sauce for desired sweetness. Once ready, cover meatballs in the sweet and sour sauce. Bake for 23-25 minutes until meatballs are cooked all the way through.
***Meatballs adapted from Smitten Kitchen and the Sauce is adapted from Shane Grenald
