Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

This recipe makes approximately 10 large meatballs or 24 appetizer size meatballs.

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup oatmeal

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped basil, fresh

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional) or fresh oregano

1 egg, whisked

zest of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil (virgin olive oil has more flavor)

1 14-ounce can Spaghetti Sauce (compare labels for sodium content)

about 4 ounces fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400°F, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, gently mix together first 11 ingredients. Shape into desired size balls. Hint: Use an ice cream scoop for large, meal size servings, and a smaller, “cookie scoop” for appetizer size meatballs. Place a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of spaghetti sauce with olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.

Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan while the meatballs are baking.

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and garnish with shredded cheese Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.

Serve meatballs with a dollop of sauce and a fresh spinach salad tossed with shallots, Parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper or your favorite Tuscan Style dressing.