Alfredo Meatballs: Quick, Easy, Economical and Delicious!

 

I have to admit I am fairly new to the Alfredo game. Alfredo flavors are not typically anything I have ever explored in the past. It's only been recently that I have been playing with them.  I made a Baked Broccoli Alfredo Rigatoni a few weeks back and really liked the flavors.

I am back today with another twist on Alfredo in the form of this tasty Alfredo Meatball recipe, which consists of some tasty meatballs made with ground chicken and served in a lush and rich Alfredo sauce. It is a recipe I adapted from This Is Not Diet Food. 

On a side note, how is that girl so skinny?  Her recipes are all lush and loaded with the good stuff.  The kind of stuff that gets me into trouble! ha ha

 

I can't get over how expensive beef has gotten here where I live lately. Unless you have unlimited funds, it is not something that many people can afford. Maybe for a special occasion or if it is really marked down you might splurge, but I find myself taking one look at the beef in the shops lately and wincing past it as it is right out of my budget most of the time.

I am having to look for alternatives to use instead of beef, which is one of the things which drew me to this recipe.  Ground chicken, at the moment, is one of the cheaper options. Even the extra lean ground chicken.

I wasn't sure if I would like the texture of ground chicken. I do eat ground turkey a lot, but I have never cooked with ground chicken. I was pleasantly surprised.  It was actually very nice.

All of the flavors and textures of this dish were spot on. I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe in half as there is only me in the house. 

Quick and easy to make.  Delicious and economical to boot!  You can't go wrong with this one.  Tender and juicy well flavored chicken meatballs in a lush, rich alfredo sauce. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ALFREDO MEATBALLS

Actually, really only a few simple ingredients. With the exception of the ground chicken, you probably have everything you need in the kitchen to be able to make these simple meatballs today! This is a small batch recipe. Simply double the ingredients to serve more people.

For the meatballs:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces/225g) lean ground chicken
• 1/4 cup (31g) dry Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 TBS whole milk
• 1 large egg yolk (freeze the white for another use)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 1/4 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese

For the Alfredo Sauce:

• 2 TBS butter
• 1 1/2 TBS minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan cheese

 

True confession here. I did not have Italian breadcrumbs. I added 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning to make up for it. It did the trick. Make sure you use garlic powder and NOT garlic salt. The two are not the same thing!

Try to grate your own Parmesan cheese if you can, or if using pre-grated make sure you use a quality one and not that stuff in the green can.  (Just saying!)

In North America use Whipping Cream. In the U.K. use double cream. Both will work very well.

It may seem like a lot of garlic in the sauce, but Alfredo is a very garlicky sauce.

I freeze my egg whites singularly in a very small container, pop them out and then pop them into an airtight baggie in the freezer. That way I can take out as many or as few as I want to at any given time. They are great for Pavolva or Angel Food Cake!

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ALFREDO MEATBALLS

These went together very quickly and were relatively easy to make. This is sure to become a favorite. You can make the meatballs ahead of time if you wish and then just reheat them in the sauce.  Feeling lazy? You can use a bottled Alfredo sauce to save even further on time and effort.  You decide!

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a medium sized baking tray with some baking parchment.

Crumble the ground chicken into a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, milk, egg yolk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese. Combine well together.

 

Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 10 balls. It will be sticky. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between each ball. (This is quite a sticky mixture and wetting your hands makes shaping them a lot easier.)

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165*F/74*C.

While the meatballs are baking make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it begins to foam add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.

 

Add the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper, whisking everything together well.

Bring to a simmer and then simmer over medium low heat for 6 to 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until it melts.

Fold in the cooked meatballs, stirring to coat them in the sauce. Leave to sit for a few minutes before serving.  Serve over pasta or rice. Delicious!

 

I wasn't really sure if I would like the texture of meatballs made with ground chicken. Probably because I don't like hotdogs made with chicken. I was pleasantly surprised. These were simply lovely!  They had a beautiful flavor and texture.  The sauce was lovely and rich. The two together were really delicious!

I serve them on some Mafalda pasta. (I am trying to use the pasta in my cupboard before I buy any more.)  All you would need to go along with this tasty dish is perhaps a salad on the side!

   

Meatballs don't always have to be made from beef or pork. Although this was my first time making them with ground chicken, I have often made meatballs in the past from ground turkey. Here are some of my favorite ways to prepare them!

TURKEY PARMESAN MEATBALLS - Tender and juicy meatballs made with ground turkey, Italian herbs, and Parmesan cheese. Slathered in a tasty marinara sauce and baked beneath a blanket of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Delicious! 

TURKEY MEATBALLS AND LEMON RICE - This is one of my favorite turkey meatball recipes. Tasty and tender turkey meatballs with a lovely vegetable and lemon rice pilaf. All you need is perhaps a salad on the side. This is pretty much a meal in one. Delicious! 

Yield: 10 meatballs

Author: Marie Rayner

Chicken Alfredo Meatballs

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Very simple to make recipe with tender and juicy well flavored chicken meatballs in a rich and easy to make Alfredo Sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces/225g) lean ground chicken
• 1/4 cup (31g) dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 TBS whole milk
• 1 large egg yolk (freeze the white for another use)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 1/4 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese

For the Alfredo Sauce:

• 2 TBS butter
• 1 1/2 TBS minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a medium sized baking tray with some baking parchment.
2. Crumble the ground chicken into a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, milk, egg yolk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese. Combine well together.
3. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 10 balls. It will be sticky. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between each ball.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165*F/74*C.
5. While the meatballs are baking make the sauce.
6. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it begins to foam add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
7. Add the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper, whisking everything together well.
8. Bring to a simmer and then simmer over medium low heat for 6 to 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
9. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until it melts.
10. Fold in the cooked meatballs, stirring to coat them in the sauce. Leave to sit for a few minutes before serving.
11. Serve over pasta or rice. Delicious!

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