Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to season
3 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 (3 inch piece) Parmesan cheese rind
For the Meatballs:
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground dark turkey meat
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
Directions
For the Sauce: In a 4 quart slow cooker, add the cans of tomato, dried oregano, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Stir to combine and set aside.
For the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, egg, and garlic. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the ground turkey and sausage meat. Using your fingers, gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (24 to 26 meatballs).
Add the meatballs to the slow cooker with the tomato mixture. If you need to make a second layer of meatballs, gently press on the first layer to submerge and add the next layer on top. It’s okay if they aren’t fully covered in sauce.
Nestle the Parmesan rind into the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 hours on high. After the 5 hours, remove the cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high to reduce the sauce slightly. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
