I’ve recently found myself making the same five dishes every single week. While that makes grocery shopping quicker, it gets monotonous. For this recipe, I looked at my usual grocery list and tried to think of something besides spaghetti to make.

I think this is a great recipe partially because it all takes one pan — and the fewer dishes to do afterward the better — but also because it’s a straightforward recipe. You put everything in a bowl, mix till combined, then start cooking. You can make this the night before or earlier in the day and put the formed turkey balls in the fridge with a bit of plastic wrap covering.

I also like recipes that don’t take a lot of time. The total cook time for this is about 15 minutes, or 30 minutes if you include combining and making the meatballs. I have a tendency to forget to eat or push it off until I’m about to pass out so a fast but healthy meal is amazing.

Turkey Meatballs

Yield: 16 to 18 meatballs

Total prep time: 15 minutes

Total cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt (whole-milk preferred)
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lbs ground turkey (93% lean / 7% fat)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• 3 cups (about 24 ounces) marinara sauce
• Hoagie buns (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine dry and wet ingredients. In a large bowl add the yogurt, egg, cheese, onion, garlic, salt, oregano and black pepper to a bowl of breadcrumbs. Stir to combine.
2. Mix in the turkey by hand. Mix until just combined. Yeah, it feels a little gross but, to get moist meatballs you don’t want to over incorporate the breadcrumbs.
3. Form into balls. Form the meat mixture into about 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Wet your hands with water to help keep it from sticking to your hands. Place on a baking sheet.
4. Pan-fry the meatballs. Heat the oil in a 12-inch high-sided saute pan over medium heat until simmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and pan fry until browned, about three minutes. Using tongs, flip the meatballs to brown the other side, about another three minutes. Transfer the browned turkey to a plate; it won’t be fully cooked.
5. De-glaze the pan. Pour water into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Heat the marinara sauce and finish cooking meatballs. Pour in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and reduce the heat to a simmer until the balls are cooked through; five to ten minutes.