Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Meatballs
I’ve tried a handful of meatball recipes over the years and to this day, these chicken meatballs flecked with savory morsels of sun-dried tomatoes remain my favorite. Adapted from a Food and Wine recipe, they’re incredibly versatile and are right at home on top of a bowl of pasta, in sandwiches, and on their own too. I prefer to serve these atop spaghetti, with a light dusting of grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Ingredients:
5 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, halved, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
One 14 1/2-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes with their juices
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1. In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, half of the jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the chicken, egg and milk. Roll the mixture into 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour.
2. Wipe out the food processor and add the remaining garlic clove and jalapeno half; pulse until chopped. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the oregano and sugar and process until smooth.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the meatballs and cook over moderate heat, turning, until golden but completely cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the tomato sauce to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.