Chicken Meatballs in Alfredo Sauce with Spinach
Not all meatballs need to be made with ground beef and served with red sauce. We’re using ground chicken with the addition of sun dried tomatoes and ricotta cheese that really makes for a different recipe. Serve this with Alfredo sauce and spinach over pasta for a complete meal.
To make Chicken Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients: ½ cup of seasoned breadcrumbs and ½ cup of milk, which will be used to help bind the meatballs. Additionally, 1 onion that has been finely chopped, as well as 3 cloves of minced garlic and ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley are needed for flavor. ¼ cup of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes will also be added to the mixture, along with 1 ½ pounds of ground chicken (or turkey). To make the meatballs even more flavorful, add ¾ cup of ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ¾ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, you can use a jar of prepared Alfredo sauce to spoon over the meatballs and add a little extra flavor. Additionally, 6 ounces of fresh spinach can be added to the sauce to give the dish a little bit of greenery and freshness.
Preheat oven to 450°. In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs with milk. Set aside to soak for 2 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the mixture with the chicken, the soaked breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix just until combined. Don’t over-mix or it will be dense.
Shape the mixture into balls and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside and cooked through.
In a large pan, heat Alfredo sauce. Add the spinach and cook for until wilted. Add meatballs and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve over pasta.
Let us know what you think of this recipe on our social channels! Watch how to make Chicken Meatballs in Alfredo Sauce with Spinach on YouTube.
Chicken Meatballs in Alfredo Sauce with Spinach
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 jar prepared Alfredo sauce
- 6 oz fresh spinach
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°. In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs with milk. Set aside to soak for 2 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the mixture with the chicken, the soaked breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix just until combined. Don't over mix or it will be dense.
- Shape the mixture into balls and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside and cooked through.
- In a large pan, heat Alfredo sauce. Add the spinach and cook for until wilted. Add meatballs and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve over pasta.
