Good things come in small packages. That’s what I’ve always been told, and that’s what my kids will always be told, too. (I’m 5-feet, 1-3/4-inches on my tippy-toes.)
Coincidentally, I love small plates and little bites. I absolutely love a ton of flavor, perfect textures, and cuteness packed into one delicious bite. This is why I love hors d’oeuvres parties so much. And dessert parties with bite-sized sweets. (One bite! Two, I consider cumbersome!)
So with no further adieu, I present these super cute, unbelievably tasty, bite-sized Rosemary-Honey Turkey Meatballs! They’re another part of the menu of small plates I’ve been cooking up for Rosh Hashanah.
They’re fantastic along side the Apricot Glazed Carrots!
Not celebrating? Then share them with friends this weekend! You can even add toothpicks and a small stack of napkins for a yummy hot hors d’oeuvres!
Recipe
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped, fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for the pan
- Coat a small sauté pan with olive oil and add the shallots, rosemary, and garlic. Cook just until the shallots are soft, and it's very aromatic, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vermouth, turn the heat to high, and reduce it completely. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and let it cool to room temperature.
- Once the shallot mixture has cooled, add it to the turkey along with the breadcrumbs, honey, salt, and a bit of pepper, in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use your hands to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Shape the turkey into balls that are approximately 1 to 2-inches, placing them on a large plate as you work. (If you have an ice-cream scoop about this size, that's prefect.)
- Coat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Cook for about 3 minutes to brown the bottoms. Then turn the meatballs over, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Let them cook and steam for about 3 to 4 more minutes, just until they are cooked through.
Notes
If you don't have rosemary growing in your own yard, I'm pretty sure you could find some in your neighbors' yards!
Since I want my oldest son who has Celiac Disease, to eat these yummy meatballs, I use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I make them weekly with the ends of his gluten-free bread loaves.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
These sound delicious, but where does the honey in the name come in?
Thanks for pointing that out, Amy! Just added it — 2 tablespoons!
Sounds good. Do you find that the breadcrumbs dry out the meatball at all? I will sometimes use stale bread, tear it up and soak it in milk or water, then wring it out and use that in place of breadcrumbs. Works well, especially for very lean ground meats.
Thanks for the comment, Jason. In this recipe the breadcrumbs don’t seem to dry out the meatballs — perhaps b/c of the honey and olive oil in the shallot mixture. I love the idea of soaking breadcrumbs in milk! I must try this!
It’s an old Italian Grandmother trick – gives the meatballs a more velvety texture. Be sure to use stale bread chunks – not breadcrumbs; they’ll just disintegrate.
finding it in your neighbors yard is called urban foraging! GREG
I’m an urban forager!
Little hands make amazing recipes too! Love your masterpiece! keep sharing =)
Anna, I agree! I love cooking things my kids can easily help with!
These look delicious – I love the idea of having them as appetizers. And I also love that you’re encouraging “urban foraging.”