The Secret to Great Turkey Meatballs? Stuffing Mix

Walk into any grocery retailer throughout the vacation season and also you’ll discover an array of instantaneous stuffing mixes displayed on an endcap. This fashionable marvel has been a staple for busy dwelling cooks for many years, reworking from astronaut meals right into a fluffy facet dish in a flash. But my favourite use for stuffing combine isn’t stuffing in any respect—it’s meatballs.

It all comes down to one thing known as a panade. In the only phrases, a panade is a mixture of soaked bread crumbs or chunks of bread. These breadcrumbs are blended with milk, inventory, or water to create a paste. Sometimes this combination will get squeezed to take away extra moisture, different instances it’s utilized in all its soggy glory. When mixed with floor meat to make meatballs or meatloaf, the combination prevents protein fibers from changing into too tight, leading to a young texture. This is particularly useful when paired with lean floor meats that have a tendency to dry out shortly, like turkey, hen, or veal. This recipe makes use of that basic approach, swapping out breadcrumbs for fast stuffing.

Unlike plain breadcrumbs—that are simply that, plain—instantaneous stuffing combine is loaded with herby seasonings. Depending on the model, this might embody dried veggies (like carrots or celery), herbs (like sage or thyme), and spices (like dried onion or garlic). Adding this combination to floor turkey leads to a daring meatball cramming all of the flavors of Thanksgiving right into a bite-sized bundle. You don’t want to add a lot else to find yourself with one thing completely seasoned.

As for what sort of stuffing combine to use: Last yr, the Bon Appétit test kitchen did a taste test, and now we have a number of ideas. Stove Top’s Savory Herb selection is a superb decide that’s loaded with dried celery, parsley, garlic, and a number of other seasonings. But different Stove Top varieties corresponding to sage, hen, or turkey would additionally work effectively. If you’re utilizing a big bag of stuffing combine (corresponding to Pepperidge Farm model) in lieu of the basic six-ounce field, simply measure out 2½ cups of the dried combination to make these meatballs.

I like to pair the meatballs with tender greens beans and potatoes, cooking all the pieces on a pair sheet pans. Serving the lot with a sweet-tangy cranberry sauce makes the final word feast with little effort and clear up. It’s a win for a festive weeknight dinner, a stress-free Friendsgiving, or a small-group Thanksgiving.

That all mentioned, these meatballs would even be nice with tomato-sauced spaghetti or a salad and crusty bread. They’re too scrumptious to make solely in autumn, so it’s a great factor that stuffing combine is offered all yr.