Food

TURKEY: Turkey Facon Meatballs

E loves bacon. Unfortunately for him I do not eat and have not eaten any pork products (ever) and we keep a kosher home.  READ: NO BACON ALLOWED.

So when I found out that Jack’s Gourmet made kosher beef bacon (aka Facon), I knew we had to try it!  While I love eating Facon for breakfast with two over easy eggs (tasty yolky goodness), I wanted to incorporate it into dinner somehow. I always see chefs on the Food Network incorporate different percentages of meat into their meatballs so I thought I could do the same.

Ground Turkey + Facon = a match made in meat lovers heaven!

Sautéing the onions and sauce in the Facon fat added a really nice depth of flavor to my sauce. We will definitely be making these again soon!

Oh, and did I mention that this recipe is Kosher for Passover?! Jack’s Gourmet Facon is KP! #happydance

TURKEY: Turkey Facon Meatballs

Ingredients:

Jack’s Gourmet Facon, 1 package, diced finely

**Reserve two strips of Facon to crisp up, crumble up and flavor the sauce!

Empire Ground Turkey, 1 package

Shallot, 2, diced

Garlic, 3 medium cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Chili Powder

Marinara Sauce or Crushed Tomatoes, 1-1/2 cups

Onion, 1 small, diced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (“EVOO”)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the Facon, shallots and garlic, ground turkey, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and chili powder. Use your hands to mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.
  3. Form the mixture into 12-13  meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Heat your Le Creuset Skillet on the stovetop. Drizzle in about a tablespoon of EVOO. Sauté the Facon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
  5. Sauté the diced onions in the Facon fat until translucent. Add the marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Season with some additional sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
  6. Transfer meatballs to the Le Creuset Skillet. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally to make sure they are fully covered in sauce.
  7. Serve the meatballs on their own, with pasta or other sides. Top the meatballs with some crumbled Facon bits! I served the meatballs with a broc slaw salad with crispy pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds) drizzled with a lemon lime garlic vinaigrette!

**What is kosher? See HERE.