Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
Thanksgiving turkey meatballs is a bold twist on the traditional main course, with Italian sausage and herbs that simmer in a luxurious creamy gravy.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil + more as needed
- 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 1 celery finely diced
- 2 garlic finely chopped
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage removed from casing
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- 2 Eggs
- 3.4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Gravy
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium preferred
- 4 sprigs fresh sage
- ¼-½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a wide skillet or dutch oven to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Saute the chopped carrot, celery and shallot for 3-4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and continue sauteing for another minute.
- Once done, remove the vegetables and set aside to cool slightly.
- To a bowl, add the ground turkey, ground Italian sausage, sautéed vegetables, chopped herbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce and panko breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
- Give the mixture a good mix so everything is combined well and form the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs.
- To the same skillet, bring up to medium-high heat and add more olive oil if needed. Sear the meatballs on all sides until deeply charred. Do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan, if necessary, then remove and set aside.
- Add butter to the pan and once melted, add the flour and whisk until the flour is cooked off.
- Add the chicken stock and the fresh sage and whisk the mixture together, picking up any meaty bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue whisking until the gravy thickens.
- Add the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.
- Add the seared turkey meatballs back into the gravy and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are just cooked through.
- Once done, garnish with additional thyme and serve the turkey meatballs with the creamy gravy on top.
Notes
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- Searing Perfection: Sear meatballs until golden brown for a flavorful crust, locking in juices. Use medium-high heat and don't overcrowd the pan.
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- Avoid Boiling: Once the cream is added, avoid boiling the gravy. Simmer gently to maintain the temperature and prevent the cream from breaking.
- Yields 26-28 medium sized meatballs.