Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Meatballs-Thanksgiving in One Bite!

 

I saw the idea for these special Thanksgiving themed meatballs on Pinterest via the Family Feedbag blog. I loved the idea, but ummm, not the carbs. So I took out the bread, and made a sugarfree cranberry sauce. These are fun, and they were a hit with my guys. I made a big enough batch to have some for the appetizer course for the Thanksgiving potluck we are hosting tomorrow for our Lifegroup from church. John is charcoal roasting two turkey breasts. Mmm. I will have these heated and ready for munching while we all gather. It sounds like we will have lots of goodies for tomorrow. It should be fun.

Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

2 pounds ground turkey

12 oz bag of fresh cranberries

1 cup finely ground Walnuts

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 egg

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup erythritol or alternative sweetener

1 cup water

Grind walnuts in a bullet blender. Melt butter in a skillet. Add diced onion and saute until translucent. Stir the walnuts into the butter and onions. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in the nut and onion mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Form the meat into one inch balls using hands or a scoop. Push one fresh cranberry into the center of the meat and roll the meat around the berry. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat forming meatballs until all the mixture is used. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, make the cranberry sauce. Combine water and erythritol until boiling. Add remaining cranberries. Cook over medium heat until berries pop. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool.

When meatballs are cooked through, remove to a serving place and spoon cranberry sauce lightly over the tops.

The ground walnuts add to the tender texture of these meatballs, and also add the stuffing flavor. Well, maybe the herbs do that too, but hey, it is the whole package. If you are not a fan of cranberry sauce, don't think this recipe will win you over. The cranberry flavor is in there! The unsweetened berry pops with a tart blast, only to be all mixed in with the sweetness of the prepared sauce. I happen to be one that loves the blend of sweet and savory, so this dish does it for me. If you have avowed cranberry haters, make a few meatballs without the cranberry center. They are still very tasty with just the herb mix. That should please everyone! You might have some cranberry sauce left over, so take advantage of the ideas I have in the Low Carbing Among Friends Book. My recipes in there transform plain cranberry sauce into entirely new sauces flavored with balsamic vinegar or jalapenos. Who wouldn't love that?