Easy Turkey Meatballs and Roasted Tomatoes with Celery-Root Purée

One of the best moments as a recipe developer (besides eating all the yummy food), is when I hear back from someone who really enjoyed something that I created. That ‘WOW’ moment, or the look on their face when they taste something new and delicious really drives me. That’s what happened with this dish – and in this case it’s doubly stunning because it is not only completely and utterly delicious, but genuinely healthy! Filling, but not heavy, this is a convenient ground turkey dinner idea that can work for a casual night in, or a gorgeous date night at home! My Easy Turkey Meatballs and Roasted Tomatoes with Celery Root Pureé will knock your socks off!

Turkey? Meatballs? Won’t they be dry?

Not at all! The trick to a moist meatball is what you add to this healthy, lean ground meat to keep it soft and delicious; turkey can be so flavorful with the right complimentary ingredients. I like to combine fragrant fresh basil & shallot, as well as a bit of crispy Panko bread crumbs into the meatball mix. A little parmesan cheese & an egg serve as binders, but also retain the moisture as the herbed turkey meatballs bake in the oven. This ensures that you get the most deliciously moist turkey meatballs, with the perfect flavor!

Lets roll… some meatballs!

When it comes to rolling a meatball, a light touch does wonders! I’m always careful not to squash these Italian-style turkey meatballs as I shape them. Instead, I gently roll roughly three tablespoons of the ground turkey between dampened hands. The important part is to just form the meat into a ball, and not compress the meatball too much between your hands. If the ground meat is rolled too tightly, it constricts while cooking, and it leads to a dry meatball! You won’t enjoy the delicate balance of garlic, panko, shallots, and spices, if your meatball is squashed!

Balsamic-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes? What’s that all about?

Boy, do I have a treat for you! I season some cherry tomatoes with fresh basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of white wine vinegar. Next, they get tossed with a bit of brown sugar, and the whole thing is popped into the oven to roast at a low temperature. Cooking low & slow, the flavors meld together and develop into an a tangy, almost syrupy tomato sauce that tastes amazing when paired with the meatballs. Sweet, tart, and slightly acidic, tasting this beautifully flavored sauce mixed with these turkey meatballs is pure bliss. The only thing better is having it paired with this silky celery root purée! It’s truly the most perfect (and healthy!) romantic meal for any occasion!

What is Celery Root?

Celery root, or Celeriac, is a knobby, light brown ball that’s closely related to the traditional green celery stalk that we all know and (maybe) love. The great thing about it is that it has a milder celery taste, and no ‘stringiness’. Unlike a potato, It can be blended into a beautifully silky texture without becoming ‘glue’. Simply peel the root, chop, and then boil in a little salted water until soft. Then, toss the cubes in a blender with a generous amount of butter and cream, and have at it! Seasoning is super important for any good puree, so be sure to add a hefty pinch of salt before blitzing smooth.

The results? A completely velvety, buttery, creamy, celery root purée! This homemade ‘base’ serves as a beautiful platform for almost anything, but tastes absolutely amazing when combined with the tart acidity of the roasted balsamic tomato sauce & moist turkey meatballs.

Could I serve these Meatballs with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes over Polenta? Or Pasta?

Absolutely! If celery root isn’t your style, these moist meatballs and tomato sauce lend themselves perfectly to the sweet-savory balance of polenta. If you want a more toothsome platform for dinner, your own pasta fresca, or even a lovely penne would love to be introduced to the yummy goodness of this slow-roasted cherry tomato sauce. Whatever you use, garnish it with fresh basil & parmesan, and you’ve created a romantic and budget friendly dinner recipe that has restaurant quality flavors, and beautiful plating!

Easy Turkey Meatballs and Roasted Tomatoes with Celery-Root Purée

Serves 4

– For the Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

18 ounces of cherry tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes for more color!)

3 cloves of garlic, peeled & pressed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

generous pinch of kosher salt & pepper

– For the Celery Root Purée

1 medium celery root (celeriac)

3 tablespoons of salted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

pinch of kosher salt

– For the Turkey Meatballs

-16 ounces 85% lean ground turkey (not “ground turkey breast”, which will make your meatball dry!)

1/3 cup plain Panko bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese (the good stuff).

1 shallot, peeled & minced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & pressed

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

–To make the sauce

Preheat your oven to 325F and reserve a small baking dish.

Wash your cherry tomatoes and place half into a large mixing bowl.

Cut the other half in two with a sharp knife and add them back to the bowl. Keeping some of the tomatoes whole will create a little texture variation, and stop your sauce from getting too watery.

Add the garlic, olive oil, both vinegars, brown sugar, torn fresh basil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

(*Set your celery root to boil – see below – at this point*)

Pour the tomatoes into your baking dish and spread them out slightly. Roast In the oven for 50-60 minutes, until bubbly & cooked down. The tomatoes will slightly caramelize, and your kitchen will smell amazing!

After about an hour, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.

Reserve

– For the Celery Root Puree

Slice the knobby part (root-side) off the celery root, and peel the tough outer skin off with a potato peeler.

Cut the peeled root in half, and then into chunks.

Fill a medium sized pot halfway with cold water. Add your celery root chunks to the pot with a pinch of salt. Place on medium high heat and let boil. Once at a rolling boil, cook until fork-tender (similar to potatoes), about 20 minutes.

(*Start mixing & forming the meatballs at this point*)

Once soft, drain the celery root chunks in a colander, and place them into a blender with 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of cream, and a pinch of salt.

Cover and blend until smooth. If the mix is very thick, add a splash more heavy cream.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl. Pour the puree into the sieve, and gently press through with a rubber spatula. This will stop any root fibers from going into your puree, for a perfect, velvety texture.

Adjust salt if needed. Reserve

– For the Meatballs

Preheat your oven to 375F. Set a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, panko, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, shallot and spices to the bowl. Mix together with your hands to thoroughly combine.

Using a gentle touch, grab a small handful of the meat mixture and slightly roll in your hands. Do not use a lot of pressure to roll the ground turkey mix together – we want to make nice soft meatballs!

Place the shaped meatball about 1 1/2 inches apart on the parchment-covered baking sheet. You should be able to make 8 meatballs from this recipe.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165F. Remove and plate.

–To Assemble

Using a shallow bowl, place two heaping spoons of celery root puree at the bottom of the plate and spread slightly with the back of a spoon. Next, add two meatballs on top. Generously spoon the roasted tomato sauce on top of the meatballs. Garnish with fresh basil & thin shavings of real parmesan.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Savory baked turkey meatballs – light, moist, and filled with flavor – are placed atop a bed of creamy celery-root puree, a lovely alternative to the traditional corn polenta. A delicious sauce of slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, tossed in olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar results in a sweet & tangy tomato sauce that pairs up gorgeously. Garnished with fresh basil & parmesan, these flavors are as bright as a summer’s day…

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Servings: 4

Ingredients

– For the Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

• 18 ounces of cherry tomatoes I used heirloom tomatoes for more color!
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled & pressed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves torn
• generous pinch of kosher salt & pepper

– For the Celery Root Puree

• 1 medium celery root
• 3 tablespoons of salted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch of kosher salt

– For the Turkey Meatballs

• -16 ounces 85% lean ground turkey not “ground turkey breast”, which will make your meatball dry!
• 1/3 cup plain Panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese the good stuff.
• 1 shallot peeled & minced
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled & pressed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

– To Make the Sauce

• Preheat your oven to 325F and reserve a small baking dish.
• Wash your cherry tomatoes and place half into a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the other half in two with a sharp knife and add them back to the bowl. Keeping some of the tomatoes whole will create a little texture variation, and stop your sauce from getting too watery.
• Add the garlic, olive oil, both vinegars, brown sugar, torn fresh basil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• (*Set your celery root to boil – see below – at this point*)
• Pour the tomatoes into your baking dish and spread them out slightly. Roast In the oven for 50-60 minutes, until bubbly & cooked down. The tomatoes will slightly caramelize, and your kitchen will smell amazing!
• After about an hour, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.
• Reserve

– For the Celery Root Puree

• Slice the knobby part (root-side) off the celery root, and peel the tough outer skin off with a potato peeler. Cut the peeled root in half, and then into chunks.
• Fill a medium sized pot halfway with cold water. Add your celery root chunks to the pot with a pinch of salt. Place on medium high heat and let boil. Once at a rolling boil, cook until fork-tender (similar to potatoes), about 20 minutes.
• (*Start mixing & forming the meatballs at this point*)
• Once soft, drain the celery root chunks in a colander, and place them into a blender with 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of cream, and a pinch of salt.
• Cover and blend until smooth. If the mix is very thick, add a splash more heavy cream.
• Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl. Pour the puree into the sieve, and gently press through with a rubber spatula. This will stop any root fibers from going into your puree, for a perfect, velvety texture.
• Adjust salt if needed. Reserve

– For the Meatballs

• Preheat your oven to 375F. Set a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Reserve.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, panko, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, shallot and spices to the bowl. Mix together with your hands to thoroughly combine.
• Using a gentle touch, grab a small handful of the meat mixture and slightly roll in your hands. Do not use a lot of pressure to roll the ground turkey mix together – we want to make nice soft meatballs!
• Place the shaped meatball about 1 1/2 inches apart on the parchment-covered baking sheet. You should be able to make 8 meatballs from this recipe.
• Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165F. Remove and plate.

– To Assemble

• Using a shallow bowl, place two heaping spoons of celery root puree at the bottom of the plate and spread slightly with the back of a spoon. Next, add two meatballs on top. Generously spoon the roasted tomato sauce on top of the meatballs. Garnish with fresh basil & thin shavings of real parmesan.

Video

Turkey Meatballs With Roasted Tomato Sauce by straighttothehipsbaby on Jumprope.