Remember when I made those fantastically cheesy Healthified Juicy Lucy Burgers? Yeah, well they now come in meatball form! And just in time for gameday too. For these meatballs, I took my favorite cocktail meatballs and those Juicy Lucy Burgers and fused them together to make one epic appetizer. They're easy to make, full of flavor, and what could be better than a gooey cheesy stuffed meatball?
Not a lot.
So just to be clear, these are not your average Italian style meatball. Oh, no. These are an americanized modge-podge if ever there was one. I do have a more traditional stuffed meatball if that's more of what you're looking for (also made in the crock pot along with a sauce.)
I've kept these meatballs light by using a lean ground turkey along with some turkey sausage for added flavor and moisture. Plus, I didn't skimp out on the seasonings there either. Don't let the notion of these being appetizer meatballs fool you either. These are pretty hefty sized meatballs. not the sort you could merely skewer with a toothpick and dote around delicately. No, no. These are manly, bulky, hearty meatballs.
Now, I made my own 'cocktail' sort of sauce but you could really use any sort of sauce to cook these in that you like. Yes, even BBQ sauce would be a good alternative (just be sure you make the proper adjustments to the nutritional count if you go that route.)
There's definitely a 'sweet spot' timeline for how long these should cook for and how quickly they need to be eaten once they reach that point. Not much happens if they are a little 'over cooked', other than the cheese may start to re-solidify.
Also, don't be scared if you start to see the cheese oozing out during the cooking process. This might happen with a few of them if they aren't sealed completely. It'll be fine in the end .
Skinny Juicy Lucy Meatballs
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 11 • Size: 1 Meatball • Calories: 186 • Fat: 4 g • Saturated Fat: 1.7 • Carb: 23.2 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Protein: 14 g • Sugar: 16.3 g • Sodium: 685.8 mg
Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 (12 Oz.) Bottle Chili Sauce
1 (14 Oz.) Can Cranberry Sauce
Meatballs
1 Lb. Extra Lean Ground Turkey
1/4 Lb. Lean Turkey Sausage
1/4 C. Onion, Chopped
1/4 C. Bread Crumbs
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan
1 Large Egg White
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 1/2 Tsp. Dried Parsley
2 1/2 Tsp. Dried Basil
11 Cubes Reduced Fat Cheddar
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Mix the jar of chili sauce and the can of cranberry into the bottom of a slow cooker.
In a large bowl combine the 1 Lb. Extra Lean Ground Turkey, 1/4 Lb. Lean Turkey Sausage, 1/4 C. Onion, 1/4 C. Bread Crumbs, 1/4 C. Grated Parmesan, 1 Large Egg White, 3 Garlic Cloves, 2 1/2 Tsp. Dried Parsley, and 2 1/2 Tsp. Dried Basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Scoop about 1/4 c. of the meat mixture out and form it into a ball; place a cube of cheese in the middle of the meatball and form the meatball back around the cheese to seal it in entirely.
Arrange the meatballs in the sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours (or until the meat is cooked through and the cheese is melty and starting to ooze out of a few of the meatballs.)
Serve right away and enjoy!
