Chicken Marsala Meatballs

prep: 30 minutes
cook: 10 minutes

makes about 24 (1-inch) meatballs

you’ll need…
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 pound ground chicken (I used thigh meat)
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup Marsala wine

let’s get to it…
Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Place ½ cup on a plate; set aside remaining ¼ cup. Finely chop the parsley; set aside.

Place the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl. Blend with your hands or a spoon until well incorporated. Form into 1-inch balls.

Roll each chicken meatball in the Parmesan cheese on the plate; set aside.

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add meatballs and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often until lightly browned on all sides.

Add chicken broth and Marsala wine. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and top with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

Hatch Chile Aïoli with Fried Green Tomatoes

prep: 30 minutes
cook: 30 minutes

makes about 1 cup

for the Hatch Chile Aïoli you’ll need…
2 eggs
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
2 mild Hatch Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

for the Fried Green Tomatoes you’ll need…
3 firm green tomatoes
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or your favorite herb seasoning)
canola oil

let’s get to it…
Place the eggs, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse to blend. Pour the olive oil into the mixture in a VERY slow stream while pulsing the machine. Pulse until the sauce has thickened and all of the oil has been added.
Spoon the mixture into a bowl and fold in the chopped Hatch Chiles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Slice the tomatoes into ½-inch rings.
Blend the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl; set aside. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg and salt and set aside. In a third shallow bowl blend together the Panko breadcrumbs and herb seasoning.
Heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet on medium heat.
Dip the tomato slices (one at a time) in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip the tomato into the egg mixture and then into the Panko breadcrumbs to lightly coat.
Fry a few tomatoes at a time for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Place cooked tomatoes on a paper-towel lined baking sheet or rack and keep warm. Repeat until all tomatoes are prepared.
Serve warm tomatoes with the Hatch Chile Aïoli.

Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs

prep: 30 minutes
bake: 55 minutes

serves 6 

for the meatballs you’ll need…
⅓ pound ground beef
⅓ pound ground veal
⅓ pound ground pork
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red chile flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

for the ziti you’ll need…
1 pound ziti pasta
5 cups pasta sauce or homemade tomato sauce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces ricotta
8 ounces mozzarella, diced

let’s get to it…
Combine the meats, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, parsley, red chile flakes (if using), salt and ground pepper in a large bowl. Mix together (I like to use my hands to mix). Shape the meatballs into tiny balls, about the size of a grape (or any size you want).
Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large skillet. Add the meatballs in batches and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet; set aside. (They will not be cooked through but will finish cooking when you bake the ziti.)
Place oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3½-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. (You can also make these in individual serving dishes like I did in the images.)
Prepare ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Return ziti to the cooking pot and toss with 3 cups of the pasta sauce and the meatballs.
Pour half of the ziti and meatballs into the sprayed baking dish. Spoon and spread the ricotta on top of the ziti. Sprinkle on half of the diced mozzarella, another cup of the pasta sauce and half the Parmesan cheese.
Add remaining ziti and meatballs to the baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella, pasta sauce and grated cheese; cover with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until center is hot, cheese is melted and sauce bubbles around the inside of the baking dish. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.