Description
A cozy, comforting meal featuring moist and tender baked chicken and ricotta meatballs enveloped in a rich spinach Alfredo sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 medium onion (very finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1.5 lb ground chicken (or ground turkey)
- 6 oz whole milk ricotta (approximately ¾ cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt (or as needed)
- 6 bacon strips
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream (35% fat)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 5 oz baby spinach (approximately 150 grams)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk; let sit for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, ground chicken, ricotta, egg, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and salt to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop out the mixture and roll into balls, about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, then chop.
- In the same skillet, melt butter, add minced garlic, and cook for about a minute. Add heavy cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the grated Parmesan.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted, then fold in the meatballs and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with bacon and parsley.
Notes
Feel free to adjust seasoning and experiment with breadcrumb types. For a spicy version, add red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 150mg