Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
These Marry Me chicken meatballs are tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. They're baked to golden perfection and then served with gluten-free pasta in a rich, creamy, sun dried tomato sauce. The perfect dinner!
Servings: 6
Calories: 652kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs 1 - 2 tablespoon more if the mixture is too wet
- 1 egg large, lightly beaten
Pasta Sauce
- 12 oz gluten-free penne
- 2 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 1 ½ tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil from the jar
- 2 cups spinach diced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon onion minced
- 2 tablespoon dried shallots
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ⅓ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ tsp basil
- Chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet with a pastry brush.
- Mix the meatball ingredients in a bowl until combined.
- Place the meatballs 1.5 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside.
Pasta Sauce
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box for al dente. Then, drain it and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Saute the minced garlic, minced onion, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and dry basil in the butter and sun-dried tomato oil.
- Add the flour and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and spinach. Stir well and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Then, add the parmesan and stir until melted.
- Add the meatballs and simmer the sauce on medium-low until creamy.
- Either serve the meatballs on skewers or gently mix the pasta into the meatballs and sauce, garnish with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat, cook the meatballs in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through or microwave at 30-second intervals.
- Use food-safe gloves coated with olive oil to easily mix the meatball ingredients.
- You should always use gloves when mixing these meatballs by hand and immediately throw the gloves out when done.
- To reduce the chances of cross-contamination, remove your gloves by pulling one off gently at the fingers. Then, with your clean hand, peel the other glove off by staring at the wrist and gently pulling until the glove comes off inside out.
- Cook the vegetables on medium heat so the onions, garlic, and shallots get soft and aromatic without burning or browning.
- Mix your meatball ingredients until just combined. When ground meat is overworked, the proteins contract too much as they cook, squeezing out the juice.
- DO NOT let your cream sauce come to a boil. It will break. Keep the sauce at a low simmer.
- Cook the pasta to al dente or even a bit less. This ensures that the heat from the sauce doesn't overcook the pasta and make it mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1223mg | Potassium: 1139mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2224IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 298mg | Iron: 4mg
