Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs with Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds were recently on sale so I decided to buy some to see what the fuss is all about.
Honestly, it's hard to see the health benefits when you're just trying them out. I think you have to be committed to eating them to really truly see the benefits of switching to Chia.

One of the things I like about Chia Seeds is that it's easy to use.
It's so easy to incorporate since it's tasteless unlike Flaxseed and you DO NOT have to grind it up before you use them.
I can just throw the Chia Seeds into my smoothie in the morning to give it that extra boost without any extra work or throwing off it's taste.

Since it has the abilities to soak up water and gel things up, I figured why not try it in meatballs.
Turkey is healthy, Chia seeds are healthy, lets make a healthy meatball. The gooey cheese in the middle definitely helps counter the lean meat I used and make it moist and tasty.

It's pretty easy and if you lack time, you can skip the browning process in a skillet and just preheat the oven to a higher temp, like 450 degrees F, and cook it for 5 mins before adding the sauce and turning down the heat.

Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs with Chia Seeds

Makes 20 meatballs Prep Time 45 mins Cook Time 45 mins

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs ground Turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Parsley
• 1 tsp Basil flakes
• 2 or 3 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/2 garlic powder
• 1 Egg
• 125g Mozzarella Cheese - Cut into 20 cubes
• half a can of pasta sauce

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs and chia seeds.
2. Add the turkey and mix it in well.
3. Make a hole in the middle and crack the egg in it. Whip the egg.
4. Mix the meat with the egg.
5. Preheat skillet to medium low heat and preheat oven to 350 degree F
6. Grab a handful the meat mixture and press it flat on the palm of your hand.
7. Place a cube of cheese in the middle and curl your hand to make a fist to close the meat ball.
8. Roll it around a bit to make sure it's closed and you can't see any cheese.
9. Place it in the skillet and while it browns, make the next one.
10. Keep on repeating steps 6-9 until you finish using all the meat.
11. Place brown meatballs into a baking pan.
12. Once all the meatballs are browned, add the pasta sauce into the pan.
13. Bake for about 25-30 mins so the meatballs are cooked and the cheese is all melted.

Great on pasta or on it's own :)

Categories: Cheese, Chia seeds, nonChinese, Turkey