Make This Tonight: Tia Mowry’s Turkey Meatballs

If you were a child of the ’90s you’ll remember Tia Mowry as starring opposite her twin sister, Tamera in the hit sitcom, Sister, Sister. Today Tia’s sharing some of her tasty family-friendly recipes with us. The actress, mom and cook gave us a sneak peek of one of her family’s favorite recipes: turkey meatballs.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Turkey Meatballs:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup milk
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 large egg
1 pound ground turkey
4 to 8 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Quick Marinara Sauce:
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Pinch kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Method:
1. For the turkey meatballs: Add the oats to a food processor and pulse a few times. The consistency should resemble breadcrumbs. Add the oats and milk to a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Add the onions, spinach, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic and egg to a large bowl and mix well. Add the oat mixture and combine. Lastly, add the turkey and gently fold into the wet mixture. Keep the mixture light by not over-mixing. Form into bite-size balls using a small cookie scoop for uniform meatballs.

3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and repeat with the second batch, adding more oil if needed. Set the meatballs aside but reserve the Dutch oven for the sauce.

4. For the quick marinara sauce: Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic to the Dutch oven and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Gently add the browned meatballs to the sauce. Do not overcrowd. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked thoroughly, another 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

6. Combine some of the sauce with the cooked spaghetti. Plate the spaghetti and meatballs and add the remaining sauce over everything. Garnish with parsley, basil and more grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

Come along as Tia Mowry takes you inside her life, sharing her recipes for success… and for dinner.  As a working actress, wife and mother, Tia is always on the go, but creating tasty and tempting foods for her family is the part of her day that brings the biggest smiles. Growing up with parents in the armed services, she enjoyed tasting a variety of flavors in the different cities they lived, and she loved recreating the dishes with her mother in the kitchen. Ever since she was a young girl, these influences have sparked her desire to cook for her own loved ones – whether it is a healthy meal for her son and husband, or a dinner party for her best friends. It is a busy and full life, but Tia would not change a thing!