Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

Marry Me Chicken but in meatball form!

The ever so popular Marry Me Chicken …but in meatball form! Marry Me Chicken is a trending chicken dish that is smothered in the irresistibly creamy sauce…I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s AMAZING. It’s so good. My husband was practically drinking his!

AND, I’ve taken it even one step further and have batched this beauty…..so you can freeze some and have a portion next week! You will thank yourself later!

The meatballs are made with ground chicken and just a few key ingredients. They come out tender, juicy and so flavourful. I served this a side of pasta that sopped up the extra sauce and some crusty sourdough bread to soak up every last bit of that delicious sauce. Your family will be coming back for seconds!

Make Ahead:

You can prepare the meatballs up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. When you are ready to serve them, just bake, make up the sauce and serve!

Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground chicken

• 2 eggs

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp paprika

Sauce:

• 5 tbsp butter

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 5-9 oz baby spinach leaves (optional and measure with your heart)

• fresh basil, julienned

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 lbs ground chicken, 2 eggs, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup panko, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and all the seasonings for the meatballs. Gently combine with a fork but don’t over mix or the meatballs will become tough.

3. Portion the meat into 1 1/2” balls and place on the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 16-18 minutes until they are cooked through.

   Meanwhile, make the sauce:

   1. In a skillet, melt the 5 tbsp butter. Add the 3 tbsp grated garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the seasonings and cook for another minute or so.

   2. Add in the wine and bring to a simmer until most of the wine has cooked down. Add in the chicken stock. Slowly add in the cream and then the Parmesan. Continue to cook on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens.

   3. Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir until each one is completely coated. Then place the skillet into the oven for 10 minutes.

   4. Remove the skillet from the oven. Add in the spinach (if using) and stir until the spinach wilts. Add in the basil and serve!

   Let’s Get Cooking!

Notes:

This recipe makes 26 meatballs (approx). I served 15 and froze the other 11. I could have served all of them and they would have disappeared!

Freezer Instructions: lay the assembled meatballs flat on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight in the freezer. Pop them into a freezer bag in the morning and enjoy them later. Just defrost them overnight in the fridge and bake them as per the instructions above! They are just as delicious with marinara or pesto sauce!

PS: Want to make this dish even easier to make? Check out my FREE Kitchen Staples Checklist that you can download. I promise that if you have these staples on hand, simple, quick and delicious meals will practically make themselves! Ummm….sign me up for that!

What did you think? Don’t forget to tag me @christies.lovestory. I love seeing your kitchen creations!