Champagne Turkey Meatballs
No matter what your New Years celebrations look like this year, you don’t want to skip out on these sweet and savory Champagne Turkey Meatballs. An easy cranberry-champagne sauce pairs perfectly with moist and tender ground turkey meatballs. Enjoy as an entree as well!
It’s the last post of the year! Pretty much every year I take the last two weeks of December off and this year is no exception. It’s been tempting for me to work since you know…there’s not much else to do but I’m reminded that the best ideas I have come from when I’m not working. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Minneapolis and our new neighborhood and getting to all of those home projects we’ve put off. Feeling a deep sense of gratitude in spite of this being a tough year. So let’s celebrate making it through 2020 with some Champagne Turkey Meatballs!
Today I’m sharing a delicious appetizer. I know the flavors seem a little odd as first but hear me out. My Bubby was the queen of meatballs and I’m fairly certain her’s contained diet coke…or maybe diet Dr. Pepper! Either way, she mastered the sweet and savory meatball which is exactly what these are.
These champagne turkey meatballs would be delicious for any gathering but I’m picturing a New Years spread with a side of champagne…and Zoom ???? Or if it’s just you and an average Tuesday throw over some rice with some of the suggestions below and you’ve got a full meal!
Champagne Turkey Meatball Ingredients
- Ground turkey
- Breadcrumbs – use gluten-free if necessary
- Tomato paste
- Cranberry sauce – ideally no-sugar added but use what you can find!
- Champagne – as dry as you can find!
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Turkey Meatballs from Scratch
STEP 1: Combine the turkey, chopped onion, breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix with your hands.
STEP 2: Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls (or larger if serving as an entree) and add olive oil to a large pan or pot over medium heat. Add meatballs one at a time and let cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pot/pan. Do in two rounds if necessary. When meatballs are cooked most of the way through remove from pot and set aside.
STEP 3: Add half of champagne to pot to deglaze and scrape off any remaining bits. Add remaining champagne, tomato paste, and cranberry sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in the meatballs and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Read Also: Chocolate Matcha Energy Balls
What to Serve With Champagne Turkey Meatballs
I prefer serving these meatballs as an appetizer so I like to stick a toothpick in each one and set them out as part of a smorgasbord! You could absolutely eat these as an entree though. Here are some pairing suggestions no matter which route you take!
How to Store Meatballs
If you’re hosting a group and want to keep your meatballs warm, these would do awesome in a mini slow cooker. Just make sure you have it turned to low or the warm setting and they’ll be toasty all night long.
If you’re looking to store leftovers, I recommend storing the meatball and sauce mixture in an airtight container. The meatballs will keep for up to 1 week stored in the refrigerator.
Champagne Turkey Meatballs
No matter what your New Years celebrations look like this year, you don’t want to skip out on these sweet and savory Champagne Turkey Meatballs. An easy cranberry-champagne sauce pairs perfectly with moist and tender ground turkey meatballs. Enjoy as an entree as well!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cook
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup tomato paste (roughly 2/3 of a 6 oz can)
- 3/4 cup whole cranberry sauce (ideally no sugar added)
- 1 cup dry champagne
- Combine all meatball ingredients (except olive oil) in a large bowl by mixing well with hands.
- Roll into 1 inch balls (or larger if serving as an entree).
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan or pot over medium heat.
- Add meatballs one at a time and let cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pot/pan. Do in two rounds if necessary.
- When meatballs are cooked most of the way through remove from pot and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup of champagne to the pot and deglaze brown bits from bottom of pan.
- Add in tomato paste, cranberry sauce and remaining 1/2 cup of champagne. Mix well.
- Bring mixture to a boil and then lower sauce to a simmer.
- Add meatballs back into pot and make sure they are well coated with sauce.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve individually with toothpicks for an appetizer or with preferred grain as an entree.
