Pesto Chicken Meatballs

By toobze

Ingredients

• Pesto Sauce
• 2 cups basil leaves, picked from their stems and loosely packed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil or more
• Pepper
• Meatballs
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1/3 cup pesto sauce, homemade (recipe below) or store-bought
• 1 small-medium onion, cut in fine dice
• 1/2 cup-3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I take bread and shred it in the food processor or you can use panko)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• Splash of milk

Preparation

Step 1

Pesto Sauce
Rinse basil thoroughly to rid it of any dirt.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the basil and blanch, cooking less than a minute or so, or until the color turns a little darker. Cool immediately in an ice water bath or under cold running water.

Use a salad spinner to dry the blanched basil and or wrap in a dishtowel remove any excess water.

Blend the basil and the rest of the ingredients except for the oil in a mini-food processor or blender. Slowly drizzle in the oil until a paste forms.

Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ingredients together until just combined and seasonings are distributed. Mixture will be on the "wet" side.

Heat up a small skillet on the stove and put a little piece of the mixture. Cook and then taste. Adjust your meatball mixture as needed.

Using a tablespoon a a general measure, roll your meatballs and put them on a lined cookie sheet or non-stick cookie sheet. Wet your hands beforehand or coat with oil, so the meatball mixture doesn't stick to your hands as much.

Cook the meatballs for 15 minutes or until cooked (you can cut into one and see if it's cooked all the way through).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add some olive oil and add the meatballs. Brown and serve.