Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Let me be the 1 millionth person to say it…these are crazy scary times and nothing is in order. No kids in school, no one in their office, no eating in restaurants, the list goes on and on. When the quarantine was first announced, most people found themselves rushing to the grocery store and stocking up on everything they could find – pasta, beans, bread, alcohol, chicken, meat, cheese, alcohol, milk, frozen pizza, frozen veggies, alcohol…you get the idea. And when you find you forgot something or are running out of baking soda because you are using it to make a volcano for your kids, some run back to the store, others place an Instacart delivery order.

Either way, most people are cooking more often than they ever have before. You have spent your time at home cooking everything you know, all the recipes you are familiar with. But fast forward 2 weeks and you and your family might be tired of your staple dishes and ready to try something different. I have been feeling the same way, so I decided to go ahead and make a dish that’s been on my list for a long time – Chicken Parm Meatballs.

As a food lover, food eater and food blogger, one of my favorite pastimes is reading other food blogs. I have a few that I follow religiously and truly keep a list of the recipes they post that I want to try. One of my all time favorite bloggers is Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking. Her recipes are fun, delicious and accessible, and this one has been at the top of my list for a while. So happy I finally made them as they did not disappoint!

To start the meatballs, you would normally start with one pound of ground chicken. Well being that the grocery store has been sold out of ground meat for a while, I had to audible to chicken sausage which I will take out of the case. Plus side, it is already seasoned!

Once the meat is in the bowl, add in the parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, 2 eggs and the seasoning – oregano, red pepper flakes, dried basil, salt and pepper. Notice the little hand holding the spices? Always fun to find ways to have your kids help you in the kitchen!

Next step, use what Ina Garten (have I mentioned she’s my idol) calls your most important tools then kitchen – clean hands. Mix the meat mixture up just enough until it is combined, do not overwork.

Next up you form the meatballs. Take small scoop of the meat mixture and put it in the palm of your hand. Then using the back of the scoop, or tablespoon, make an indentation in the meat, making room for the surprise inside – insert cheese ball here. No literally, insert the cheese ball into the indentation, and fold the meat around the cheese, making sure it is completely surrounded.

Place each meatball in the flour and dredge all the way around. Place on a plate until all the meatballs are covered in flour and ready to cook.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed oven-safe pan over high heat. Once hot, sear the meatballs for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and sear for another 2 minutes on the other. Sometimes, depending on the size of the meatballs, I end up searing 3 sides of meatball – use your judgement. You want to make sure that the majority of the meatball is seared, locking in the juices for the rest of the cooking process.

Once the meatballs are seared all around, add in 1 jar of tomato sauce – Rao’s is my personal favorite. Use a wooden spoon to grab any dark bits off the bottom of the pan and mix the meatballs into the sauce.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and the meatballs to cook through. Remove from the oven and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and basil (or parsley in the case of what I had on hand). Serve on top of a bed of spaghetti, alongside a nice glass of red wine. These meatballs are full of flavor and gooey cheese, making them perfect for the entire family.