My children are a huge fan of meatballs! In this recipe, lean ground turkey and red marinara sauce hides a nutritious veggie – zucchini! The marinara sauce is simmered with butternut squash, which makes it sweeter and even healthier – another win! Serves 6.

1 ½ pounds ground turkey

1 small to medium zucchini, peeled and grated

1 egg, beaten

½ cup plain panko bread crumbs*

½ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 cups of your favorite jarred marinara sauce

1 cup frozen cubed butternut squash

*1/2 cup Italian regular breadcrumbs can substitute for panko & Italian seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil (easier clean up!).

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, zucchini, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, salt and black pepper. Mix well. Roll to form meatballs about golf ball-size. Place meatballs in neat rows on baking tray.  It should yield about 30 meatballs.

Bake in oven until meatballs are fully cooked through, about 20 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, pour marinara sauce into a medium pot. Add frozen butternut squash cubes. Cover pot and heat over medium for 10 minutes. Uncover pot and let simmer for 10 more minutes on medium-low. Using a fork, mash the now tender squash cubes into the sauce.

Serve meatballs and marinara sauce over whole grain spaghetti/pasta. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.  

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