CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Ground chicken makes for delicious meatballs that are lighter than the more common beef or pork versions. Use these meatballs in our Italian Meatball Soup with Vegetables and Orzo, serve them as an appetizer or add them to your favourite pasta sauce.

Yield: Makes 60.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup milk (2%)
  • 3/4 cup crustless whole wheat bread cubes
  • 1 lb (0.5 kg) ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup shredded parsnips
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp basil, crumbled
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place a rack on top.
  2. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. Place bread cubes in milk. Let stand for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze excess milk out of bread cubes, squeezing bread cubes together to form a paste. Discard milk.
  3. Combine bread paste and all remaining ingredients until blended.
  4. Shape mixture into very small balls, each about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place meatballs on rack in prepared pan.
  5. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until completely cooked. Meatballs may be baked in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. May be frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutritional analysis per meatball:

20 calories, 0.9 g fat, 1.9 g protein, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g fibre, 24 mg sodium

Tip: The bread paste made in this recipe is called a panade. A panade is used to help bind ground meat mixtures.