CrockPot Meatballs

Inspiration/Original Pin:

I used Canadian Family's Recipe as the basis of mine.

Ingredients

• 2 cans whole plum tomatoes - I used 2 traditional-size cans
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• ¼ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds ground turkey (the recipe used ground beef and pork)
• ¼ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1¼ cups breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• Salt and Pepper
• 3/4 (ish) cup jar pasta sauce

Directions

1. Add tomatoes to slow cooker and crush using potato masher. Add tomato paste, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Stir, cover with lid and cook high until sauce is bubbling and beginning to thicken about 3 hours. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ground turkey, 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into 25 (ish) meatballs. Transfer meatballs to a rimmed sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
3. I cooked the meatballs in a skillet with a bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes (browning all sides). Once sauce has cooked to bubbling, submerge meatballs into tomato sauce, cover with lid and cook until cooked through, about 2 hours more. Discard bay leaf.
4. Add 3/4 cup of pasta sauce and let cook for 15-30 min (I added this step because I wanted a bit more sauce with my meatballs)
5. Top with extra shredded Romano (I used Parm and Romano) and serve. 

Outcome/Results: 

Ignore the slightly messy bowl - I thought it was okay since I was not in a cooking competition

Pin Approved?: Yes! This was a delicious dinner. The meatballs were simple and affordable to make. They would be great as a sandwich, with pasta, or alone as an appetizer. I also put a few servings in the freezer so I'll see how they hold up after being frozen. 

The best way to enjoy this meal is probably while watching Mad Men (my new Netflix addiction). 

Problems/Issues: I had no problems with this recipe, but I did increase the cooking time a bit. 

CrockPot recipes are very popular on Pinterest - Have you tried any? 

Your Favorite Pintester, 

Rachel 

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