Turkey Forentine Meatballs with Cheese Sauce

I swear I'm still trying (really hard) to keep up with posting new recipes. I've tried three new recipes in the last few weeks and they've all just been 'eh, nothin' special' recipes. Pinterest, you've failed me again!

That said, I've been making these meatballs for years now.  This is one of the first recipes I started making after Jay and I got married. They're really easy to make and since you use your hands to mix everything together, the kids can help too. The original recipe comes from Rachel Ray and can be found here. I've changed it some because the original recipe makes a TON of sauce, so I've cut it in half and it still makes plenty.

Meatballs

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry, and roughly chopped

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, finely chopped, set aside 1-2 Tbsp for cheese sauce

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk

1/2-3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cheese Sauce

1-2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
5 oz shredded cheese (I usually use a mixture of cheddar and parmesan, but you could use any mixture you like)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onion, all of the garlic, 1 large egg, about 1/4 cup milk,  1/2 cup bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well. If the mixture feels too wet, add more bread crumbs until you can easily form into balls. Form into 10-12 large balls. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or non-stick foil and bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

While meatballs are in the oven, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion and cook 2 minutes then whisk in flour. Cook flour 1 minute, then whisk in 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup stock. Bring liquid up to a boil, whisking constantly. Decrease heat to medium and stir in shredded cheese a handful at a time, stir after each addition until fully melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and turn heat to the lowest setting. 

Serve meatballs with cheese sauce and garnish with chopped parsley. 

Review - There's no pleasing a 6 year old at the dinner table. I'm sure of it. I could serve up ice cream sundaes for dinner and I'm sure she would find something wrong with the temperature of the ice cream or the selection of toppings or the fluffiness of the whipped cream. Just make these meatballs and let your six year old eat veggies and fruit instead.