Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post.  Just yesterday I was bragging that I update my blog at least once a week, and upon looking back at the last several months, it appears as though that is lies, all lies.  I don't even have any good excuses besides that I really like MTV, online shopping, and Pinterest.
 
Anywho, we're here to talk about meatballs, not about my slacker ways or dreadful taste in television programming.  Usually, when I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, he says, "What are my options?", which I suppose is kind of clever and technically a legitimate question.  Inevitably, when he say that, he ends up with a turkey sandwich or Chipotle.  But sometimes when I ask, he gives me an answer and then I'm required to go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients for whatever his heart desires.  Because I figure if he actually gives me an idea besides, "what are my options?", then he must REALLY want said option and I should try to oblige.  Plus, I have a feeling that the happier he is with dinner, the more likely he is to do the dishes.  Which leaves me more time for MTV, online shopping, and Pinterest.

So today when I asked, he said, "spaghetti and meatballs", so here we are.  Even though it is TOTALLY mean to say the word "spaghetti" to someone who is cutting carbs from their diet.  Just sayin'.
 
Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Source: Adapted from Dinner: A Love Story
 

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 a small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2/3 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
about 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (I got the medallions and then cut each in half lengthwise to have 8 thin slices)

 

Preheat oven to 400°F, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, onion, parsley, basil, grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and fennel seeds.  Shape into golf ball sized meatballs (I found that it helps to put a little olive oil on your hands first...it makes forming the meatballs easier) and place a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Brush a bit of marinara sauce over each meatball.  Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with a slice of cheese.  Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. 

 

Serve with pasta, or eat plain to save the carbs!  We also had an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, and a simple vinaigrette.