Easy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Marinara
An easy, oven-baked chicken parmesan meatball casserole with a simple marinara that stays tender, saucy, and far from the tough, overworked versions many of us remember.
Calories per serving: 462kcal
Ingredients
~~ Sauce ~~
- 3 tablespoons (2.96 tablespoons) *olive oil
- 4 cloves (4 cloves) garlic, minced
- 28 ounces (793.79 g) whole tomatoes, canned and their juice
- 1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) basil, dehydrated
- 1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) basil, dried
~~ Meatballs ~~
- 1 pound (453.59 g) ground chicken, preferably 92 percent lean
- 4 cloves (4 cloves) garlic, finely grated, pressed or minced
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) yellow onion, minced
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon (0.49 teaspoon) black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) Basil
- ¾ teaspoon (0.74 teaspoon) fine salt
- 1 (1) large egg
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) panko
~~ Topping ~~
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons (1.97 tablespoons) *olive oil, extra virgin
Instructions
Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and saute it quickly then put the heat to low.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pan. Add the juice. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes,
- Add the garlic powder, chicken browth, and basils and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.
Meatballs
- In a stand mixer, stir together the egg, panko, parmesan, onion, basil, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Add the ground chicken and gently mix until just combined. Form 12 golf-ball-size meatballs and put them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meatballs registers 165 °F (74 °C) degrees.
Assembly
- In a large cast iron or other oven-safe casserole, put the sauce you made previously. Add the meatballs and spread them out in a single layer.
- Place the mozzarella on top of the meatballs.
- Mix the panko bread with the olive oil and spread the mixture on top.
- Bake the casserole at 350 °F (177 °C) until the cheese is melted and has the top has browned.
- Serve with spaghetti or other pasta
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