We received a special delivery of pasta sauces from Hoboken Farms to make preparing dinner a little easier. This was the opportunity for me to make my baked Turkey and Bacon Meatballs. For this recipe, I used the Hoboken Farms Big Red Marinara sauce. This is one of the tastiest jarred Marinara sauces I’ve ever had. My chef tastebuds do not lie!
Hoboken Farms operates in 30 weekly farmers markets across New Jersey and New York. Since 1992 the company has offered an expertly curated selection of locally baked artisan breads, fresh mozzarella cheese, pasta and meats. Their Big Red Marinara Sauce is sold at Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath and Beyond, a small select group of independent retail shops, and was name Best Marinara Sauce in the country by the Wall Street Journal.
I usually prepare my own marinara from scratch but, with a 2 1/2 year old who demands mommy’s attention after being at work most of the day, the Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara ready-made sauce helped me to make a delicious semi-homemade meal – quickly. Also, he got the opportunity to help mommy in the kitchen – keeping him occupied – by adding the ingredients to the bowl (and me having a close eye on him). WIN-WIN for me!
Baked Turkey and bacon meatballs, fresh Parmesan, basil from the “Porter garden” and my seasoned whole wheat flatbread. Enjoy this recipe using Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara. You will love it!
Turkey and Bacon Meatballs Recipe using Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara
Make 24 meatballs (about 4-6 servings)
Ingredients
2 slices of Ezekiel bread or any whole wheat bread
½ Cup Whole Milk
1 egg
½ pound thick-cut Apple wood smoked bacon
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 ½ pounds ground turkey
¼ cup fresh Parsley, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 Jar Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara sauce
1 cup chicken stock
Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place 1 jar of Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara sauce and 1 cup chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Place bread in a bowl and pour milk over it. Soak until mushy. Add egg and mix together. Set aside.
- In a food processor, combine bacon, onion, and garlic. Process until bacon and onion turn into a paste.
- In a large bowl, combine bacon mixture, ground turkey, salt, black pepper, parsley, parmesan cheese, and bread mixture. Use your hands to mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.
- I like to use a 1.5”-2” ice cream scoop to form the mixture into 24 meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Transfer meatballs to the saucepan with the sauce and continue to simmer on low for 15 minutes. Serve meatballs with the sauce with pasta. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Store leftovers in remaining sauce.
I hope you will enjoy creating this dish using Hoboken Farms BIG RED Marinara, and then eating it with your family just as much as me.
Come back and let me know what you think of this recipe!