My cousin and his wife recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. I love to cook, but I LOVE to cook for other people, especially if it’s a special occasion. Tonight I am going over to their house to meet the little princess and I decided I would make them my favorite Venison/ Turkey Meatballs. This isn’t a recipe that I whip up very often because 1. it makes a lot and 2. it’s not a quick recipe. They are however, delicious and totally worth it!

There are many different meat combinations that you can use for meatballs, Beef/ pork, chicken/turkey, beef/ turkey; but since I hunt I love to use venison meat combined with ground turkey.

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

While I let these set in the freezer, I may or may not have been dancing around my kitchen jamming out to Christmas tunes…

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Yum! My kitchen smells great. I am going to pack up these bad boys and get ready to head over to my cousins’ house.

If you’re at home and making these for dinner you can make the classic spaghetti and meatballs or how I decided to do a taste test, over some roasted broccoli. Either way definitely give these a try.

Happy eating!

What you’ll need: 

Meatballs: 1 pound turkey, 1 pound ground venison, 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, 3 garlic cloves, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, 1/4 cup freshly minced parsley, pinch S&P, olive oil.

Sauce: 1 yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves minced, 1 28oz can whole tomatoes, 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, S&P to taste, 1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley.