Baked Buffalo Parmesan Meatballs (High Protein!)

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 45

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Lauren

These cheesy baked Buffalo Parmesan Meatballs are packed with protein and flavor! They're super easy to make and can be served as a delicious game day appetizer or as the main dish for a quick weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

Sauce:

1.5 cups cottage cheese (350g) I used 2%
1/2 cup buffalo sauce mild, medium or hot

Meatballs:

1/2 medium yellow onion (80g)
1 small carrot (60g) finely grated
1/2 cup quick oats (40g) or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (56g)
2 Tbsp buffalo sauce mild, medium or hot
1/2 tsp each: salt, garlic powder, onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey *keep in fridge until ready to use
1 large egg
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (84g)
Cilantro and green onions sliced, for garnishing

Instructions

Add the cottage cheese and buffalo sauce to a blender and blend until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add half of the sauce to the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish, pie dish or cast iron skillet. Set the remaining sauce aside.
Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl. Shred the carrot and onion (I used the large holes on my box grater) and add to the mixing bowl with the oats, parmesan, buffalo sauce, salt, garlic, onion powder and pepper. Combine well.
Get the ground turkey out of the fridge and add to the mixing bowl. Mix until everything is just combined.
Scoop into golf ball size meatballs (60g). Spray a cookie scoop with nonstick spray to make this easy. Place meatballs on top of the sauce in the dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the meatballs. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake for about 30 minutes total. Cover with foil the last 10-15 minutes. Check that meatballs have been cooked through (165F with an instant read thermometer or no longer pink when you cut down the middle).
Top with sliced green onions, cilantro, cracked black pepper and grated parmesan to serve and enjoy!

Notes

Use a cookie scoop: Use a cookie scoop to make meatballs! This makes it so easy and ensures they are the same size.
Use a scale: If you really want to be precise with your meatballs, weigh total meat mixture first using a digital scale. Then divide total weight by 16 (or however many meatballs you want to make) and you will know how much eat meatball should weigh. Just zero out the scale and scoop each meatball until you have the desired amount.
Don't overwork the meat: Try to avoid overworking the meat as your form the meatballs. You just need to lightly pack them together, enough that a ball shape forms.
Dipping sauce: Serve these meatballs with your favorite dipping sauce like your favorite ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or a little bit of extra buffalo sauce.

Nutrition