Baked Chicken Meatballs

These are yummy meatballs, non beef, full of flavor and baked!  Winning combination.

I found this recipe a long time ago and thankfully stumbled upon it again in my cookbooks.

The Gourmet Magazine recipe adds the meatballs to their version of pereronata (usually a mixture of sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic cooked in olive oil) and serves it with garlic bread.

I added the meatballs to tomato sauce and served it over pasta.  Either way, they are delicious!

Baked Chicken Meatballs (adapted from Gourmet, August 2009)

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small pieces (1 cup)

1/3 cup milk

3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (see note below)

1 large egg

1 pound ground chicken

2 tablespoon tomato paste, divided (see note below)

3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

Note:  to make these meatballs for sauce, omit one tablespoon of tomato paste and olive oil and the procedure that goes with it.  If you would like to serve them as is, then see the pictures and directions for the added tablespoon of tomato paste and olive oil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Soak bread in milk while you are getting the rest of ingredients together, for about 4 minutes.

Cook pancetta, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in one tablespoon of the oil, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, until onion is cooked, about 5-6 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, add egg, ground chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, parsley, bread/milk mixture and the pancetta mixture.  Stir together gently until combined.  Form into 12 meatballs (using an ice cream scoop helps) and place on a rimmed cookie sheet, sprayed lightly with canola oil spray.

*To serve the meatballs as is, combine 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and brush over the meatballs.  To make the meatballs for tomato sauce, leave off the tomato paste/olive oil mixture.

Place meatballs into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

mise en place:

milk and bread mixture (I did not use the crusts) and the result after ~ 4 minutes of soaking:

the pancetta I used:

pancetta, onion, garlic, salt and pepper:

meatball ingredients, mixed and formed into meatballs:

tomato paste/olive oil step:

or after baking plain, simmered in tomato sauce and served over pasta: