Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours
Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4
These meatballs have banana in the middle! Cooked in the slow cooker, this recipe makes a great dinner choice for busy days.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb.
lean ground Turkey
- 1/2 cup
regular or quick cooking Oats
- 1
Egg, beaten
- 2 Tbsp.
Ketchup
- 1/2 tsp.
Onion Salt
- 1/8 tsp.
Black pepper
- 2
Chiquita Bananas
- 1/2 cup
baby Carrots
- 1 cup
diced Zucchini
- 1/2 cup
diced White or yellow onions
- 4 oz.
Tomato paste
- 1
(26-oz.) jar Tomato-mushroom pasta sauce, or your favorite variety
- 1
Bay leaf
- 1 pinch
Salt to taste
- 2 cups
Whole wheat spaghetti noodles, or your favorite pasta, cooked and kept warm
Instructions for:
best Chiquita Monkey Business Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Combine turkey, oats, egg, ketchup, onion salt, and pepper. Cut 1/2 banana into 16 small (about 1/2-inch) cubes; set cubes aside and place remaining banana into the slow cooker. Mash slightly. Divide turkey mixture into 16 portions. Place one cube of banana in the middle of one turkey portion and roll into a ball. Repeat to form 16 turkey-banana meatballs. Brown meatballs in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. While meatballs are browning, place baby carrots, zucchini, onions and tomato paste in slow cooker; stir to mix with banana. Turn slow cooker to low and cover. When meatballs are browned on all sides, remove them from the skillet and place on top of the fruit and vegetable mixture in the slow cooker. Pour pasta sauce over meatballs and tuck the bay leaf into the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. When cooked, use a slotted spoon to gently remove meatballs and bay leaf from the sauce. Discard bay leaf and cover meatballs to keep warm. With an immersion blender or potato masher, blend sauce until smooth. Stir, taste and adjust seasonings. Add warm cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine well. Serve pasta and sauce in deep bowls and top with meatballs.
Serving Suggestions:
Top meatballs with shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
Beverage Pairings:
Serve with cold milk, or pair with a light bodied red wine.
Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 460; Total Fat 10 g (Sat 2.5 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 0 g, Mono 0 g); Cholesterol 120 mg; Sodium 1080 mg; Potassium 720 mg; Total Carbohydrates 66 g; Dietary Fiber 11 g; Total Sugars 27 g; Protein 35 g. Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 80%; Vitamin B6 25%; Vitamin C 50%; Vitamin D 0%; Calcium 10%; Iron 30%.