Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• For the Sauce:
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, liquid reserved
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
• For the Meatballs
• 1/2 cup dried panko
• 1/3 cup grated onion
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• To finish:
• 4 oz shredded mozzarella
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
• 2-3 tbsp. minced fresh basil

Preparation

Step 1

To make the sauce, add the tomatoes to the blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of the reserved liquid if necessary to smooth the mixture out. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet or saute pan over medium - high heat. Add the onion and cook about 1mins, until it begins to soften Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and red pepper flakes and mix just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato mixture, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook about 5-8 mins, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Set aside.

to make the meatballs, combine the panko, grated onion, parsley, basil, parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic and egg. Stir together with a fork just until blended. Mix in the ground chicken and knead together gently until evenly combined. Form the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.

Preheat the oven to 400. heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer (two batches may be necessary if you don't have enough surface area). let cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. Once all of the meatballs are browned, place them in the pan with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and additional parmesan over the top. Bake until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 mins. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil. Serve warm