How to Make Inexpensive Ground Turkey Meatballs in Onion Soup Sauce in a Skillet

This is a "stretch the meat" meal, and it's incredibly tasty! I usually opt to make giant meatballs (or small burgers), because they're faster and easier than making small meatballs. Regardless of the size, the meatballs turn out soft, moist, and well-flavored on the inside and nestle in a rich sauce of onions and stock. Like onion soup, the dish gets a generous layer of French bread slices in the pan and plenty of Swiss/Gruyere cheese on top. You don't need to broil the dish, just cover it with a lid until the cheese melts. The bread will soak up the sauce, and you'll have a generous and incredibly good meal in your skillet. Any leftovers make great lunches. Enjoy!

How to Make Inexpensive Ground Turkey Meatballs in Onion Soup Sauce in a Skillet

Ground Turkey Meatballs in Onion Soup Sauce -- Serves 4+

2-3 teaspoons of olive or canola oil

2-3 large/medium onions, chopped (2 1/2 - 3 cups)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

3 cups of water

1 tablespoon of reduced sodium chicken "Better Than Bullion"

1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme

2-3 tablespoons of white wine

Turkey Meatballs

8-10 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 percent or so)

1 large egg

3/4 cup of ricotta cheese (part skim is fine, or you can use cottage cheese)

2-3 tablespoons of chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes

1-2 pieces of crumbled stale bread (I use an English muffin or 2 smallish pieces of bread)

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

On Top

10 -12 pieces of toasted, sliced French bread (a baguette, 1/2-inch slices or so)

1 cup of shredded Swiss/Gruyere cheese

Chopped fresh parsley, optional

In a large skillet or chef's pan, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and gently cook the onions until they are golden brown--about 20-30 minutes. Stir the onions every so often and turn the heat down to medium low/low if the onions start to burn. While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs. You want the mixture to be cohesive and just a bit moist. When the onions have turned a golden brown, add to the pan with them the water, Better Than Bullion, thyme, and wine and stir the mixture. Bring the mixture to a low boil. Form the meatballs (about the size of a large marble/or golf ball) and drop them gently into the onion mixture, spacing the meatballs so that they are separated as much as possible. Turn down the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan, and let the turkey meatballs cook for 10-15 minutes or until cooked all the way through (165 degrees) and the sauce has reduced by about a third. Remove the lid from the pan and put the bread in the spaces around the meatballs, pressing the bread slices into the onion mixture, so that the bread is mostly submerged in the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the bread and meatballs. Turn off the heat and cover the pan a few minutes until the cheese melts. Sprinkle on the parsley, if you're using it. Serve the meatballs with the onion-sauce soaked bread and cheese.

How to Make Inexpensive Ground Turkey Meatballs in Onion Soup Sauce in a Skillet