Stuffing Meatballs
| Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 30 min |
| Servings: 4 | Skill Level: medium |
Everything you love about stuffing, without the hassle of putting it inside of, and roasting an entire bird. A pumpkin acts as the perfect vessel to steam and bake these stuffing meatballs, and then becomes an edible side dish and serving platter for your family anytime of the year or a holiday Friendsgiving Skewer each meatball with Pearls ripe black olives – the rich and tender butteriness of the olive compliments the juicy stuffing for the absolute perfect bite.
Recipe and image attributed by Chef Joe Sasto
Ingredients
- 1ea white onion, finely minced
- 1lbs ground turkey
- 1/2lbs ground pork
- 1hd celery, finely minced
- 1can @pearls_olives ripe black pearls
- 1tb parsley. chopped
- 1tb rosemary, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 eggs
- 2cups sourdough bread, cubed
Cooking Instructions
- Begin by combining the drained olives, celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, taking care to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to achieve a consistent mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the finely chopped herbs, eggs, and cubes of bread (with the crust removed).
- Season well with salt and pepper, and using a spatula or large spoon, stir well to combine.
- Add the raw ground meat, and continue to mix until homogeneous.
- (Optionally cook a small piece of meatball stuffing mixture in a large pan and taste, adjust seasoning if needed).
- Using either a scoop or your hands, form the mixture into small balls (2-3oz in size), and place on a separate plate or baking dish.
- At this point, you can sear the meatballs either in a large non-stick skillet in a small amount of olive oil, or under a broiler until golden brown, but not cooked through – and transfer to a hollowed out, cleaned, and seasoned pumpkin.
- Place the lid on the pumpkin, and steam in a 360F oven for 1.5 hours or until tender.
- Alternatively, you can cook the meatballs in the same oven on a roasting rack for 20-30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
