Ricotta Meatballs with The Crispy Topping

• . ground turkey (I used 93/7 ground turkey - ground chicken also works, as does just about any other type of ground meat that you like!)↗1 lb
• full-fat ricotta cheese↗0.5 cup
• Parmesan cheese↗0.5 cup
• panko↗0.5 cup
• garlic powder↗1 teaspoon
• salt↗1 teaspoon
• Italian seasoning↗0.5 teaspoon
• jar tomato sauce (like a marinara or pasta sauce - I like a lot of sauce so I typically use a 28-32 ounce jar)↗1
• panko↗0.25 cup
• Parmesan cheese↗0.25 cup
• olive oil↗2 teaspoon
• chopped parsley

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all meatball ingredients together.

2. 2

   Meatballs: Roll mixture into 20-24 small meatballs. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a shallow Dutch oven or oven-safe pan to prevent sticking. Put the meatballs in the pan.

3. 3

   Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes on a middle oven rack. Gently loosen them from the bottom of the pan with a spatula; they should have some nice browning.

4. 4

   Sauce: Add the tomato sauce directly to the pan with the meatballs and stir to get them all coated.

5. 5

   Optional Topping: Mix the 1/4 cup panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the meatballs and sauce.

6. 6

   Final Bake: Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to warm the sauce. Turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to get the crispies nice and golden (just watch it so it doesn’t burn).

7. 7

   You’re Done! Get into this! SO good served with a green salad and garlic bread for dunking into the sauce!