Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti

In the past when I make Spaghetti, I have always used store bought meatballs. However, I am learning that it is much healthier and easier to make my own.

Thanks to Roseann for sending me this meatball recipe. I adapted it a bit, but overall it's very similar to the original and tasty!

Meatballs:

1 lb of Ground Turkey

2 Egg Whites

3 Tbsp of Minced Onion or 1 Cup of Fresh Chopped Onion

1 Cup of Italian Bread Crumbs

1 Tsp of Garlic Powder

Mix all of the ingredients together and form small balls, then I put them in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. I would then cook on low for an hour to be sure they are fully cooked. This was a great alternative to using the oven or being short on time and using store bought meatballs. They were ready by the time I was home from work. You can also make extra and freeze for future use.

While the meatballs were in the slow cooker, I boiled 4 cups of water with 8 oz of angel hair pasta. I drained the pasta and put back in the pot. I warmed a 26oz jar of marinara sauce and then added this to the pasta. I mixed the cooked meatballs in and added a little mozzarella cheese to the top of the dish. There you have it, Spaghetti with Slow Cooker Meatballs.

Meatball Friday Night

This meal had one restriction: No Noodles!

There are nights where I really do not want to cook, and I do not feel like getting out and driving 5 miles to get something to eat. Then, I usually go back and forth on if I should order take out although it's not in the budget. My solution to all the above problems...meatball subs!

-Hoagie Rolls

-Beef or Turkey Meatballs (I use the precooked, frozen meatballs)

-Marinara Sauce

-Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese

I heat up a few meatballs in the microwave. Then, I add the meatballs to the hoagie rolls, drizzle some marinara sauce on top, and then add some cheese. I put them all on a cookie sheet and stick them in the oven for about 5-10 minutes to toast them and melt the cheese. I fixed a small side salad or if you want to have a junk food night, you can fix some french fries.

My son loves meatball sub night too; however, he has a different variation of this meal. I cut up a few meatballs for him, top it with some cheese and then give him 1/2 a toasted hoagie. Typically, I use wheat hoagies so that it's more nutritious, but this time the store was all out!

I also add a veggie to give him a balanced meal. We have dealt with extreme reflux over this past year and it seems to be improving greatly, but we are still not ready to introduce any foods with tomato base. So, no marinara for him!

This is a great quick fix for a Friday night after a long week!