Healthy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

We like meatballs in our house, but get a bit fed up with having too much beef. I saw a pack of turkey mince on offer when doing my online shop, so I popped it in my virtual basket with a view to trying something different for a change.

Here is the result – my Healthy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce!

Print Recipe

Healthy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These delicious meatballs are made with turkey mince, which means they're full of flavour and stay nice and juicy! Cooked in a tomato and thyme sauce, they're great served with pasta or rice.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Meat Dishes, Slimming World

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 500 g turkey mince
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to season

For the Sauce

• 1 large onion
• 1 stick Celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp Splenda or calorie-free sweetener.
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 calorie spray oil

Course Main Dish Cuisine Meat Dishes, Slimming World Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings people Ingredients For the Meatballs 500 g turkey mince 1 large egg 3 tbsp wholemeal breadcrumbs 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 1/2 tsp dried thyme salt and pepper to season For the Sauce 1 large onion 1 stick Celery 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp dried thyme 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes 1 tsp Splenda or calorie-free sweetener. 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce salt and pepper to season 1 calorie spray oil

Instructions

To make the sauce:

1. Finely chop the onion and celery. Mix together and then remove 2 tbsp and put to one side. Spray a sautee pan with one-calorie spray oil and gently fry the onion and celery on a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and thyme and continue frying until softening.

   
2. Add the tins of tomatoes. Then fill each tin with water and add that to the pan.

   
3. Season with salt and pepper, and add the sweetener and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you make the meatballs.

To make the meatballs:

1. Put the mince in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion and celery you put aside earlier, as well as the egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and seasoning. Mix together using your hands, but try not to mix it too thoroughly as it makes the meatballs too dense.

   
2. Take small portions of the mixture (around a level tablespoon) and roll into balls in the palms of your hands. Place onto a baking tray covered with non-stick paper. The mixture makes around 20 balls, or more if you make them smaller.

   
3. Once the meatballs are rolled, add them gently to the simmering sauce. Pop a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for around 10 minutes. After this time, turn the meatballs carefully, return the lid and simmer for around 8 minutes.

   
4. Remove the lid for a couple of minutes to let the sauce reduce slightly. If you want, cut open a meatball to check it is thoroughly cooked. Don't let them overcook, or they will become dry.
5. Serve with pasta or rice, with some more grated Parmesan on top!

   

Recipe Notes

If you're following Slimming World, this recipe is free except for the breadcrumbs and Parmesan, which you will need to syn. 3 tbsp wholemeal breadcrumbs is approximately 1 slice of an 800g loaf, but that is for all of the mixture, so syns will be fairly negligible. Same for the Parmesan, but you could weigh it to work out the syns to be accurate.

Let me know in the comments if you try them! You might also like my recipe for Beef Ragu Pasta Bake!

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