How to Make Turkey Meatball Bites
‘Tis the season for eating, drinking and being all sorts of merry.
Chances are you’ve been invited to everything from ugly sweater parties to Christmas kickbacks. If you’re planning on hosting your own holiday get together or just want to be a gracious guest these Turkey Meatball Bites are the perfect finger food. They’re bite-sized so you can mack on one without spilling your spiked eggnog, which means no holiday party fouls. Made with ground turkey wrapped in puff pastry then topped with traditional Christmas colors thanks to some pesto and sweet peppadew peppers these poppable appetizers might just be the hit of the party.
_____
Turkey Meatball Bites
Makes 36 Pieces
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup pesto sauce
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- All-purpose flour
- 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
- 18 Peppadew whole sweet piquanté peppers or pepperoncini, cut in half lengthwise
- Marinara or traditional-style pasta sauce, heated
How to Make it:
- Mix the turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, garlic and 3 tablespoons pesto in a large bowl. Season with the salt and black pepper. Shape the turkey mixture into 36 (1-inch) mini meatballs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the skillet. Repeat with the remaining oil and meatballs.
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 rectangles along the fold lines. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch) strips, making 36 in all.
- Top each meatball with 1/4 teaspoon pesto sauce and 1 pepper half, cut-side down. Wrap 1 pastry strip around each and press the seams to seal. Place the pastries, seam-side down, into 36 mini muffin-pan cups.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with the remaining pesto sauce and the marinara sauce for dipping.