Italian Turkey Balls

I have been wanting to make meatballs for a while, so I thought I would combine my new love for using beans with typical Italian flavor.  These are great because you can make them for a pasta dish or eat them with side items.  We can't stop eating them!

What you will need...

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (or 2 slices bread you have in the freezer)
• 3 tbsps Italian seasoning
• 1 can cananilli beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 eggs
• Optional:  1 cup finely diced mushrooms or shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup tomato sauce, seasoned with 1/2 tbsp of the Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425*.  Coat a jelly roll pan with a thin layer of olive oil and brush a cooling rack with some olive oil.  Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp Italian seasoning.  If you are making the bread crumbs, place the 2 slices of frozen bread in a your food processor  with 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning and pulse until you have fine bread crumbs.  Add bread crumbs to the bowl.  Put the beans in the food processor with 1 tbsp olive oil and pulse until mostly broken down into a paste, and add to the bowl.  Add the diced onion and optional diced vegetable(s) to the bowl.  Add 2 eggs and 3 tbsps tomato sauce.  Mix until well blended.  Add 1 tbsp more of Italian seasoning and the cheese, and mix well.  Form tennis ball size turkey balls and place on the jelly roll pan.  Brush the tops with a small bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes to get the bottoms firm.  Remove and quickly transfer balls to the cooling rack, place the cooling rack in the jelly roll pan and put back into the oven for 15 mintues.  Remove and top each with about 1 tbsp of sauce and put back into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes longer.  When they have browned and are cooked through you are ready to enjoy them with your favorite pasta or side dishes...YUM-OLA!!!

How many people can eat...should make about 12 balls and feed 6 to 12 people.

Sides to think about...perfect with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed Italian vegetable medley.