One-pan dinners are my love language. So this Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Root Vegetables recipe was an easy yes for me! These juicy turkey meatballs have a secret ingredient (cottage cheese!) that keeps them tender and moist while adding richness and extra protein. I throw them on a sheet pan alongside a colorful mix of root vegetables and let everything roast together. Then add a simple garlic-maple Dijon glaze and send it back to the oven until everything is tender and caramelized. This sheet pan dinner is big on flavor with barely any dishes, and at only $9.26 for 4 full meals, it makes weeknight dinner a little easier on the budget, too!
An Easy Sheet Pan Turkey Meatball Dinner
I’m always looking for dinners that give me a full meal without a lot of juggling, and this one makes the timing especially easy. The turkey meatballs and root vegetables cook together from the start, so I cut the carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, and parsnips into evenly sized pieces. That helps make sure they soften and cook through right alongside the meatballs. And while our classic turkey meatballs are delicious, these ones are a little different because they’re egg-free. The cottage cheese adds moisture and richness, and together with the panko, helps the meat mixture hold together and keeps the turkey tender as it roasts.
Then comes my favorite part. After the first 20 minutes, I brush everything with a buttery maple, Dijon, and garlic glaze and give it another 10-12 minutes in the oven to finish roasting and let that glaze work its way over the whole pan. This meal is incredibly flexible, too. You can swap in other seasonal vegetables that have a similar roasting time and tweak the seasonings to suit your taste. I firmly believe easy dinners don’t have to be boring, and this one gives you meatballs, vegetables, and plenty of flavor all on one pan!
Recipe Success Tips
- Finely chop the onion and parsley. Take the extra minute here! Any larger pieces can make shaping the meat trickier. That matters even more here because the cottage cheese in this recipe makes the mixture much softer than, say, our beef meatballs. I always finely chop the onion and parsley to avoid the baked turkey meatballs from falling apart.
- Switch up the root vegetables. Rutabaga, turnips, and beets can all work here, so this is an easy one to change with the season or what’s priced well that week. Just keep any swaps around the same size as the other vegetables so they cook at a similar rate. (Beets will also color anything they touch, so keep them grouped to one side of the pan if that matters to you!)
- Keep everything fairly small and evenly sized. I make the meatballs about 1½ inches across, which should give you roughly 20 meatballs. For the root vegetables, aim for around ¾-inch cubes or chunks. Root vegetables are pretty sturdy, so I cut them fairly small to help them become tender in the same 30-ish minutes it takes the turkey meatballs to cook through. If you cut the potatoes or carrots much larger, they’ll retain more of a bite in the cook time listed below.
- Give everything as much room as you can. Use your largest sheet pan and spread the vegetables into as close to a single layer as possible. Then nestle the turkey meatballs on top rather than burying them underneath. A little breathing room means better caramelization, and keeping the meatballs exposed helps them brown, too.
- Save the glaze for the end and keep an eye on the color! I add the maple-Dijon-garlic glaze after the first 20 minutes for a reason. The sugars in maple syrup brown readily at 425°F, and minced garlic can burn if it spends too long in the oven. Also, remember different ovens can have different personalities! If yours runs hot and the meatballs or glaze are getting dark before the turkey reaches 165°F in the center, turn the oven down to 400°F and let everything finish cooking through.
Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Root Vegetables
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey $3.94*
- ½ cup cottage cheese $0.49
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs $0.25**
- 2 Tbsp onion finely chopped, $0.08
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley $0.12
- ½ tsp garlic powder $0.02
- ¼ tsp poultry seasoning $0.02***
- ¾ tsp salt $0.05
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce $0.03
Root Vegetables
- 2 medium carrots chopped, (2 cups) $0.53
- 1 medium sweet potato cubed, (2 cups) $0.60
- 1 small onion diced, (1 cup) $0.66
- 1 yellow potato cubed (2 cups) $0.59
- 2 parsnips cubed, (1½ cup) $0.79
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.07
- 1 tsp salt $0.10
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
- ½ tsp garlic powder $0.02
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning $0.04***
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary $0.03
- 2 Tbsp salted butter $0.22
- 1 garlic clove minced, $0.09
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup $0.34
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard $0.02
Instructions
- Gather and prep ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment.
- In a large bowl, toss carrots, sweet potato, yellow potato, parsnips, and onion with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and dried rosemary. Spread evenly on the sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, cottage cheese, panko, onion, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and Worcestershire. Mix until just combined; the mixture will be soft. (see notes)
- Using a spoon or small scoop, form 1½-inch meatballs (about 20 total). Nestle them evenly among the vegetables on the sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While meatballs roast, melt butter in a small pan or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in minced garlic, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard.
- Brush or drizzle the maple-garlic glaze over the meatballs and vegetables. Return to the oven for 10-12 minutes more, until meatballs reach 165°F and vegetables are tender and caramelized.
- Spoon any extra pan juices over the meatballs and vegetables when serving. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
how to make Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Root Vegetables step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment. Cut 2 medium carrots, 1 medium sweet potato, 1 yellow potato, and 2 parsnips into roughly ¾-inch pieces. Dice 1 small onion (or slice it into wedges if preferred).
Season the root vegetables: Add the prepared vegetables to a large bowl with 2 Tbsp cooking oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp poultry seasoning, and ¼ tsp dried rosemary. Toss really well so the seasonings are distributed across the whole batch. Spread the vegetables over the prepared sheet pan in as close to a single layer as possible. You can also season them directly on the sheet pan (as I’ve done here!) to save washing up.
Mix the turkey meatballs: Add 1 lb. ground turkey, ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion, 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp poultry seasoning, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce to a medium bowl. Mix gently until the breadcrumbs, herbs, and seasonings are evenly worked through the turkey.
The mixture will look soft and feel slightly sticky from the cottage cheese. That’s exactly what you want. Stop mixing once everything is just combined.
Shape and start roasting: Portion the turkey mixture into about 20 meatballs, roughly 1½ inches across. Nestle them on top of the vegetables and roast for 20 minutes.
Make the maple-Dijon glaze: While the sheet pan roasts, melt 2 Tbsp salted butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard.
After the first 20 minutes, the outside of the meatballs should look set, and the vegetables will have started to soften and develop some color, but neither is finished cooking yet.
Brush or drizzle the maple-Dijon garlic butter over everything on the sheet pan. Return the pan to the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
Serve: The root vegetables should pierce easily with a fork, and the thickest meatball must reach 165°F in the center before serving. There will probably be a little buttery maple-Dijon goodness left on the sheet pan, so don’t leave it behind! Spoon those juices over the baked turkey meatballs and root vegetables before dividing into four servings. Enjoy!
How To Serve Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs and Root Vegetables
You really don’t need much else with this one! Each serving already gives you five turkey meatballs and about a cup of roasted vegetables, so I usually just spoon some of those maple-garlic pan juices over the top and dig in. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives and a squeeze of lemon are nice finishing touches if you have them. If you do want something green alongside it, our steamed green beans are quick enough to make while the sheet pan finishes in the oven. Or this autumn kale and apple salad will fit the cozy fall flavors really well without adding another hot dish to juggle.
You can also turn the meatballs and vegetables into a grain bowl by spooning them over rice, couscous, or farro. Our wild rice pilaf makes it especially hearty and carries through those cooler-weather flavors. Or add a spoonful of tzatziki on top. The cool, tangy yogurt sauce is a nice counterpoint to the sweet maple-Dijon glaze. And don’t forget the leftovers! The baked turkey meatballs are great tucked into wraps or sandwiches with some of the roasted vegetables and a smear of Dijon.
Meal Prep it!
This sheet pan turkey meatball and root vegetable dinner portions really neatly for lunches. Because you already have the protein and vegetables covered, I divide five meatballs and about 1 cup of vegetables into each meal prep container. If you’re adding rice or another grain, pack it right into the same container. Keep any yogurt-based sauce separate and add it after reheating. Store everything in the fridge for 3-4 days, then reheat as directed below.
Storage & Reheating
Let the turkey meatballs and root vegetables cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I like to spoon any leftover pan juices into the container, too, so none of that maple-garlic flavor goes to waste!
Reheating
For the best roasted texture, I reheat the meatballs and vegetables in a 350°F oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until heated through. The microwave also works perfectly well when you need lunch fast. Just heat in short intervals until everything is hot.
Freezer
Once completely cool, portion the meatballs and vegetables into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 2-3 months. The root vegetables will be a little softer once thawed. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as above.
Other Sheet Pan Dinners I Love:
- Our Sheet Pan BBQ Meatballs are another fun way to turn turkey meatballs into dinner, this time with peppers, onions, pineapple, and a sticky BBQ finish!
- I also really like this Sausage Meatball and Kale Sheet Pan Meal when I want something hearty and savory, with potatoes, tomatoes, and plenty of kale all roasting together.
- This Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner is one of my favorite options when I want to use up whatever vegetables are hanging around in the fridge.
More Easy Ground Turkey Recipes
The post Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Root Vegetables appeared first on Budget Bytes.
from Budget Bytes https://ift.tt/qdQpHkW
Hello, my name is SURESH KUMAR. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean. 
