The Busy Gourmand

This recipe came to life after I had some leftover mixture from my chicken and sausage burgers. The addition of three other ingredients yielded a very nice, albeit spicy, meatball. You could substitute sweet sausage for the hot variety if the spiciness is not to your liking.

• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound hot italian sausage meat
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1/4 red onion in large dice,
• 1/2 tablespoon dijon style mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small food processor combine the onion and the herbs. Process until the onion is in a very small dice.

In a large bowl combine the chicken and the sausage. Add the chopped onion mixture, the bread crumbs, the mustard, and the tomato paste and carefully knead the meat mixture, slowly combining the two types of meat. You want to be gentle with the meat so it does not compact into a hard ball. Once thoroughly combined, divide the meat mixture into eight 1 ½ inch meatballs.

Place the meatballs on a tray and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Finishing Meatballs in the Sauce

If you are serving with a tomato sauce, remove the meatballs and finish them in the simmering tomato sauce for 10 more minutes. If you are not using a tomato sauce, heat the meatballs for a full 30 minutes in the oven.