Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Spinach

During the fall, I turn to cozy and comforting dishes like chicken pot pie, hearty beef stew in the slow cooker, and classic chicken noodle soup. For this reason, I also love meatballs — they’re easy to make ahead for those busy weeknights, and so versatile. From cheesy French onion meatballs and chicken Parmesan meatballs to bola-bola (Filipino meatballs), there are so many ways to make them.

In this recipe, I pair juicy and flavorful chicken meatballs with a creamy spinach sauce. If you like Swedish meatballs and creamed spinach, this is the perfect dish for you. And it’s the ultimate vehicle for garlic mashed potatoes. Here’s how to make it. 

• It’s the ultimate comfort food. Juicy chicken meatballs are smothered in a rich and creamy spinach sauce that’s great served over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
• Baked meatballs are easy and mess-free. Rather than frying the meatballs, which can break down and crumble in a skillet, these are baked and broiled in the oven. This makes cleanup way easier!

• Ground chicken: For the juiciest meatballs, use a blend of dark and white meat ground chicken (it can be made with all-white meat ground chicken, too).
• Parsley: Adds brightness and color to the meatballs, plus it helps keep them moist.
• Parmesan cheese: The cheese goes into the meatball mixture and the sauce.
• Half-and-half: Keeps the meatballs moist and makes for a creamy sauce.
• Chicken broth: Use low-sodium chicken broth so that you can control the salt level of the final dish.
• Spinach: Stirred into the sauce at the end just until it wilts.

1. Make the meatball mixture. Stir half of the garlic, half of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, panko breadcrumbs, part of the half-and-half, egg, kosher salt, onion powder, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Add the ground chicken and mix gently until just combined.
2. Bake the meatballs. Form the meatballs into 2-tablespoon portions. The easiest way to do this is with a cookie scoop. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through.
3. Start the sauce. While the meatballs are baking, make the base of the sauce with butter, flour, remaining garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Add the remaining half-and-half and low-sodium chicken broth. Whisk until smooth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Broil the meatballs. When the meatballs are ready, turn on the broiler and broil until the meatballs are browned.
5. Finish the dish. Add the baby spinach and remaining Parmesan to the sauce, and stir until the spinach just begins to wilt. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat. Garnish with more grated Parmesan if desired.

• Ground turkey: This recipe works just as well with ground turkey.
• Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs, you can use standard unseasoned dried breadcrumbs.

• Make ahead: The meatballs can be prepared and refrigerated raw or baked up to 2 days in advance or frozen in a single layer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe. If the meatballs are fully cooked, bake in a 400ºF oven until heated through before adding them to the sauce.
• Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a splash of half-and-half or broth to thin the sauce out as needed when reheating.

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