Ingredients
-
1 1/4 lbs
ground chicken
-
1/2 cup
dried
bread crumbs
-
3 tbsp
finely chopped
onion
-
2 tbsp
chopped fresh
parsley
-
1/2 cup
grated
parmesan
, or pecorino
-
1
garlic clove
-
1 tsp
fennel seeds
-
1
egg
, whisked
-
grated
lemon zest
, from 1/2 lemon
-
salt and
pepper
, to taste
-
3 tbsp
olive oil
-
1 14-ounce can
store-bought
pizza sauce
, (such as Don Pepino's)
-
4 ounces
fresh mozzarella
cheese
, in thin slices
Instructions
- PREHEAT the oven to 400F, setting a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- IN a large bowl, use your hands to gently mix together the chicken, bread crumbs, onions, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, fennel seeds, egg, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Shape into golf ball-size balls and place a few inches from each other on a lightly greased foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of your pizza sauce with the olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.
- REMOVE the meatballs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with a slice of cheese. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Warm the remaining sauce in a small saucepan. Serve the meatballs with a dollop of sauce.
Suggested side
Sautéed spinach.
On the weekend
I like getting these in the oven right after a grocery shop. From start to finish, it’ll take you about 25 minutes. After baking the meatballs, allow them to cool, then pop into a freezer bag.
To thaw: Transfer the frozen meatballs to the fridge in the morning so they’re thawed by the time you get home. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes, then continue with the recipe as directed.
Excerpted from Dinner: The Playbook by Jenny Rosenstrach. Copyright © 2014 Jenny Rosenstrach. Reprinted by permission of Ballentine Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House company. All rights reserved.
