Turkey Stuffing Meatballs with Pomegranate & Cranberry Sauce

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenTurkey Stuffing Meatballs with Pomegranate & Cranberry Sauce

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	15 minutes	Total Time	50 minutes
Servings	8 (3 balls per serving)	Cost Per Serving	$1.35

Turkey Stuffing Meatballs

1 pound	Ground Turkey
3 cups	Stale Bread, finely chopped but not crumbs
2 cloves	Garlic
1	Medium Onion, roughly chopped
3	Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
1 cup	Chestnuts (roasted or vacuum packed), roughly chopped
6	Sage Leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup
2	Rosemary Sprigs, roughly chopped
1 cup	Apple or Quince, grated
1	Mandarin, juice only
1 tbsp	Olive Oil
To Taste	Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Pomegranate & Cranberry Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Add garlic, onion and celery to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add to a large sauté pan with olive oil over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized (browned). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl combine ground turkey, bread cubes, cooled vegetables, and the rest of your ingredients including a good squeeze of the mandarin juice.
Roll mixture into golf ball-sized balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 35 minutes until fully cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
For the sauce, cut the pomegranate in half. Juice one half of the pomegranate by squeezing or crushing it through a sieve. Add the cranberries, sugar and pomegranate juice to a small sauce pot. Boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until all the cranberries have burst.
Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes, then stir in the arils (seeds) from the remaining half pomegranate. Serve with stuffing balls.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for turkey stuffing meatballs

Raw turkey and chicken can spread salmonella bacteria to other foods. Be sure to wash any thermometers, dishes, utensils and surfaces that have touched raw or partially cooked poultry before letting them touch foods again.
Stuffing your turkey before cooking it can make cooking the turkey evenly more challenging. To be on the safe side, it is best to cook your stuffing separately on the stove or in the oven.
If you do decide to stuff your turkey, leave lots of space in the cavity for air to circulate to help the turkey cook. Remove all of the stuffing right after cooking.
Sage and rosemary are members of the mint family, and both are rich in a variety of antioxidants that may help prevent damage to healthy cells. Research on rosmarinic acid, a plant compound found in both of these herbs, suggests it may improve memory in older adults and those with Alzheimer’s disease.