Eggplant and Turkey Baked Meatballs
These Mediterranean diet insired Eggplant and Turkey Baked Meatballs feature roasted eggplant, ground turkey, fresh herbs, and parmesan.
Servings 8 meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/3 cup panko style breadcrumbs (you can subtitute regular breadcrumbs as well)
- 1 egg, large
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, see note below)
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil
- Using a fork, pierce the eggplant multiple times and then place on the lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until the eggplant is fork tender
- Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F
- Once cooled slightly, use a spoon to scoop the inside of the roasted eggplant in a food processor.
- Add the garlic, parsley and dried oregano to the food processor and puree until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggplant puree, ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese. Mix until well combine (I prefer to use my hands but you can also use a spatula or spoon).
- Form the mixture into 8 large, even sized meatballs
- Optional - if you desire a more browned crust to your meatballs, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and lightly brown the top and bottom of each meatball (about 2 min each side) before getting ready to bake in the oven. Note this step isn't required.
- Place meatballs into a large baking dish or parchment lined baking sheet
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes
- Garnish with fresh basil (if desired) before serving