Featured Chef! Meatball Stroganoff

This recipe has been in my inbox and I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to share it with you. Our Featured Chef, Mrs. Christine Cristiano-Herbert is celebrating her birthday and I thought, what better way to highlight how talented she is by posting her recipe on my blog today. Happy Birthday Crissy and without further ado: Meatball Stroganoff!

Growing up in an Italian household isn’t much different from other homes where the inhabitants are proud of their heritage and integrate their traditions into everyday life. For my family, the tradition is Sunday Dinner. Our heritage doesn’t necessarily dictate the meal for the day, just that the meal is made with love.  I find that as I grow older I’ve begun to appreciate the dishes that my father made for me.  So, in an effort to hold on to tradition, I’ve begun to modify the dishes the he taught me to make by making them healthier.  I hope you enjoy my healthy twist on a classic that’s hard to resist.

 

Meatball Stroganoff

Ingredients

1lb Ground Turkey

1lb Ground Pork

3 Egg Whites

2 Tbsp Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Ground Sage

2 tsp Parsley

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

1 Bag Baby Spinach, wilted and drained well

1/3 cup Whole Wheat Seasoned Bread Crumbs (adjust as needed)

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 (10oz) Cans 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream

2 cups of Beef Stock/Broth warm

1 Bag Whole Grain Extra Wide Noodles

 Directions:

First, pre-heat oven to 350 F. Mix the Turkey, Pork, Egg Whites, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sage, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Spinach, Bread Crumbs and Cheese until the ingredients are combined. The mixture should be fairly sticky. If it is too sticky, add more bread crumbs.  Form medium to large meatballs once the mixture is the right consistency. I find that wetting my hands frequently while forming the meatballs helps the task move along quicker.

Once all the meatballs are formed, place them on a cookie sheet that has either been sprayed with a non-stick spray or on a raised rack. Keeping them raised helps with heat circulation and the meat isn’t sitting in a tray of fat. Bake the meatballs for approximately 20 minutes or until the center of a large meatball reaches 120 F.

While the meatballs are baking, warm up the beef broth. In a separate pot, whisk together the soup and sour cream over low heat. Once the broth is warm, whisk it into the soup/sour cream mixture until smooth. Feel free to spice up the mixture to your liking. I added Salt, Pepper, Garlic & Onion Powder to my mixture.

Transfer the partially cooked meatballs to an oven proof container (aluminum tray, casserole dish, Dutch Oven) then pour the soup mixture over the meatballs.  Place the container in the oven (uncovered) and continue to cook the meatballs for an additional 30-40 minutes. While the mixture is continuing to bake, boil a pot of salted water and cook your noodles to al dente or however you like them.  When the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 155 F, remove the container from the oven and let it rest for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; this allows the sauce to thicken.  Serve the stroganoff over noodles & watch your family’s face light up.

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Enjoy!