Last week, after an active February day in the great outdoors, for dinner that night I was in the mood for comfort food. Something flavourful that would sate me. The first thing that rolled to mind was meatballs in hearty gravy.
A key reason meatballs came to mind was because I had recently purchased some ground turkey and thought that would be an inviting, perfect-for-winter way, to use it.
To make the meal, I mixed the ground turkey with an egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, sage and a few other seasonings. The turkey mixture was then rolled into balls, set on a baking sheet, and baked until cooked through.
While they cooked, I made the gravy for the meatballs by sautéing some diced onions and sliced mushrooms in butter. Flour was stirred in and cooked a short while, creating a roux. Chicken broth was then stirred in, brought to a simmer and thickened gravy formed. To make the gravy rich and hearty, I then whisked in some sour cream and seasoned it.
When the meatballs were cooked, they were transferred to a casserole, the gravy was spooned over them, and then the saucy meatballs were cooked in the oven 20 minutes, until bubbling hot and nicely enriched by the gravy.
You could serve the meatballs with a green vegetable and rice pilaf, egg noodles or mashed potatoes, the latter being what I did. They were not your regular kind of mashed potatoes, though. The ones I made were flecked with bits of sweet carrot and spiked with spicy, prepared horseradish, ingredients that worked well with the potatoes and the saucy turkey meatballs they were served with.
The recipe yields five to six servings of meatballs. If desired, you could make the meatballs in advance and heat and serve them later in the day. See the Eric’s options part of the recipe for details on that. Any leftover meatballs you have will freeze well, to thaw, reheat and enjoy at another time.
Turkey Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Onion Gravy
Mustard and herb-flavoured turkey meatballs, cooked, set in a casserole, topped with rich gravy, and baked until bubbling and delicious. Serve them, if desired, with the mashed potatoes recipe below and a green vegetable, such as green beans or broccoli.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Makes: five to six servings
1 1/2 pounds (about 680 grams) lean ground turkey (see Eric’s options)
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 large egg
1/2 tsp dried sage leaves (see Eric’s options)
• splash or two Worcestershire sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced, or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces small brown mushrooms, sliced (see Note)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (divided)
1/3 cup sour cream
• chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional)
Place ground turkey, breadcrumbs, mustard, egg, sage, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl and gently mix to combine.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Moisten your hands lightly with cold water. Roll turkey mixture into 1 1/2- to 2-inch balls and set them on the baking sheet as you go along (you should end up with about 30 meatballs). Bake the meatballs 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the meatballs bake, melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium, medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and the moisture has evaporated from them, about five to six minutes. Mix in the flour and paprika until well combined, and then cook one minute more.
While stirring, slowly mix in 1/2 cup of the broth. When mixture is very thick, slowly mix in the rest of the broth. Bring this gravy to a simmer, and then simmer three to four minutes. Whisk the sour cream into the gravy, season with salt and pepper, and then remove from the heat.
When meatballs are cooked, transfer them to a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon the gravy over the meatballs (see Eric’s options). Cover the meatballs with foil, set back in the oven and bake 20 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Sprinkle the meatballs with parsley, if using, and then serve.
Note: Tubs containing eight ounces of small brown mushrooms are sold in the produce section of many grocery stores. If unavailable, weigh and buy eight ounces of loose, small brown mushrooms.
Eric’s options: If you don’t wish to use ground turkey or can’t find it, other types of ground meat, such as chicken or pork, will also work in this recipe. Instead of sage, try another type of dried herb, such as thyme. If you wanted to make the meatballs in advance, and reheat and serve them later in the day, once topped with the gravy, cool the meatballs to room temperature. Now cover meatballs with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, bake the gravy-topped meatballs in the oven as described in the method, adding 10 minutes or so to the baking time as you’ll be starting from cold.
Mashed Potatoes with Carrots and Horseradish
Mashed potatoes enhanced with sweet carrots and spicy horseradish. Serve them with the turkey meatballs or any other saucy dish you think they would work well with.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 23 to 25 minutes
Makes: four to five servings
1 2/3 pounds (750 grams) yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled quartered (see Note)
1 large, or 2 medium, carrots (about 6 ounces/170 grams), peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp extra hot horseradish, or to taste
• salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Place potatoes and carrots in a pot, cover with two inches of cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until potatoes and carrots are very tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and carrots well, and then mash. Beat in the broth and horseradish. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Note: If the store you shop at does not have a scale to weigh the amount of potatoes needed for the recipe, know that six medium, or four large, yellow-fleshed potatoes should yield 1 2/3 pounds of potatoes needed here.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
