For whatever reason, sometimes I’ll make dinner and forget to take a photo which means no post. Or sometimes I’ll take a photo and it’s hideous, which means no post. OR sometimes I’ll take a decent photo, get lazy and not post. I’m not sure what happened the last time I made these meatballs but I definitely didn’t post about them.
When I do my menu planning I’m always looking for some variety in proteins and also for foods that make great leftovers, especially during busy weeks. As much as I like cooking if I’m working late the chances are that I won’t cook. This is particularly bad because I easily fall into a pattern of not having breakfast, barely eating lunch and then no dinner. Totally not healthy at all. Luckily this only happens when things get insane so it’s not a regular thing at all.
These meatballs are the perfect Sunday dinner. They aren’t too complicated to make but they do take some time since you have to divide your meat into balls. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with a glass of wine (I can’t be the only one who drinks wine while cooking!) and some tunes.
The meatballs themselves come out nicely. They stay moist thanks to the bread and milk. Just be careful and make sure that your bread is really broken up, you don’t want to get chunks of bread in your meatballs. What’s truly delightful about this recipe is the peperonata. I’m a fan of roasted peppers and totally thought that this was a great accompaniment. I would totally use this alongside other dishes or on a sandwich.
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata
For peperonata:
3 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
For meatballs:
3 slices Italian bread, torn into pieces (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta (or bacon), finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Make peperonata:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss bell peppers with 1 tablespoon oil, then roast, stirring occasionally. Cook until softened and browned, roughly 35 minutes.
Combine the capers, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl and set aside.
Make meatballs while peppers roast:
Soak bread in milk in a bowl until soft and mushy, about 4 minutes.
Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a frying pan over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool for a few minutes.
Squeeze out excess milk from bread and dump the milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then mix it with chicken, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form meatballs and place on baking sheet.
Mix the tomato paste with the rest of the oil and brush over meatballs. Bake meatballs until cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Toss bell peppers with caper mixture. Serve meatballs with peperonata.
(Recipe via Gourmet)
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This is really useful tips for Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata.
Sounds so comforting, especially on these cooler nights!
How beautiful and healthy too!