Chicken Florentine Meatballs
Flavorful chicken florentine meatballs made with a boost of veggies and simmered in a creamy white wine sauce with fresh spinach. This delicious twist on "marry me chicken" and chicken florentine is packed with over 30g of protein for a wonderful, restaurant-quality weeknight dinner!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 569cal
Ingredients
- Meatballs
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 pound lean ground chicken (or sub turkey)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 ounces grated parmesan cheese (⅓ cup)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sauce
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 to 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese (½ cup)
- 1 to 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- Topping and serving
- Lemon zest
- Torn fresh basil
- Cooked pasta of choice, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shred the zucchini: In a large bowl, shred the zucchini, then use a paper towel or clean dish towel/cheese cloth to squeeze ALL of the moisture out of the zucchini. Discard the liquid, then place the zucchini back in the large bowl. It should equal about ½ cup.
- Prepare the meatballs: To the same large bowl, add the ground chicken, panko, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Use clean hands to mix until well combined; avoiding overmixing, otherwise meatballs will become tough. Form into 20 golf-ball sized meatballs, placing on the prepared baking sheet, at least 1-inch apart.
- Bake the meatballs: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatball reads 165 degrees F.
- While the meatballs cook, make the sauce: Place a large 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add in the butter. Once butter melts, add in the shallot, garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Next add in the wine and let it cook down until it is reduced by half, 2 minutes. Slowly add in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for about 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan cheese and spinach, and cook until spinach wilts, 2 minutes. Finally, add the cooked meatballs back to the pan and spoon sauce over the meatballs, cook until the sauce slightly thickens and the meatballs are warm, 3 to 5 minutes. If sauce gets too thick, add a splash more broth. Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese over the top, then garnish with lemon zest and fresh basil. Serve over pasta or enjoy with some crusty torn bread.
Notes
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free panko bread crumbs in the meatballs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (meatballs and sauce only) | Calories: 569cal | Carbohydrates: 16.6g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39.9g | Saturated Fat: 19.5g | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 3.1g