Description
Chicken Florentine Meatballs are tender, flavorful meatballs made with ground chicken, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, baked to perfection and served with a savory mushroom and tomato sauce over roasted spaghetti squash. This healthy, comforting dish is perfect for a wholesome family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
Sauce
- 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the beaten eggs, thawed and drained spinach, dry bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, dried minced onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Crumble the ground chicken over the mixture and mix everything well until fully incorporated.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the mixture into 1-1/2 inch meatballs and place them on a rack in a shallow baking pan to ensure even cooking.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake the meatballs uncovered at 400° F for 25 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink inside, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Prepare Spaghetti Squash: While meatballs bake, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a microwave-safe plate and microwave uncovered on high for 18 minutes or until tender. Allow it to cool enough to handle, then use a fork to scrape and separate the squash strands.
- Make Sauce: In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the sliced mushrooms until tender. Stir in the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, minced fresh parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Add the baked meatballs into the simmering sauce and heat through until warmed evenly.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs and sauce over the prepared spaghetti squash strands. If desired, garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Ensure spinach is well squeezed to remove excess moisture to prevent soggy meatballs.
- You can substitute ground turkey for ground chicken if preferred.
- To save time, spaghetti squash can be roasted in the oven at 400° F for 40 minutes instead of microwaving.
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a subtle kick.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
