These Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs are perfect for your Friendsgiving menu or as an easy appetizer for a holiday party or potluck!
This post is sponsored by my friends at The Mushroom Council.
The recipe I’m sharing today features mushrooms and lean ground turkey in my turkey and stuffing blenditarian meatballs. With traditional stuffing ingredients like celery, onions, and sage and even a pop of extra flavor from cranberries, these turkey and mushroom meatballs are Thanksgiving in one bite!
These turkey and stuffing meatballs are perfect for your Friendsgiving menu or as an easy appetizer for all of those holiday parties and potlucks!
I’ve partnered with the Mushroom Council to help spread the word about a culinary technique designed to get more veggies on the plate while boosting flavor and nutrition.
What is The Blend?
The Blend is one of my go-to recommendations when helping people transition to a more plant-based diet. To use it, simply replace some of the ground meat in a recipe with chopped mushrooms.
The mushrooms add incredible umami flavor, moisture, and fiber. And it’s easy to do.
How to use mushrooms in meatballs
I used baby bella mushrooms, but this recipe would work great with shitake mushrooms and button mushrooms too. The key is to chop the mushrooms to mimic the texture of ground meat.
I used the food processor for ease. And since I already had it out, I went ahead and chopped my onions and celery in the food processor too.
Once all of the vegetables are chopped (the finer, the better), add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. I tried these meatballs using regular ground turkey and with lean ground turkey breast. Both worked!
I’m using ground turkey breast here, but both recipes were delicious. Though a dinner spoon will work, if you have one, use a meatball scoop or large melon baller to make evenly portioned meatballs. This recipe made 24 – 1½ inch meatballs.
Tips for making the best meatballs
- Finely chop the onion and celery by hand or use a food processor. This is critical for a smooth texture, and it also helps the meatballs maintain moisture.
- Use gloved hands and a scoop for less mess and consistently sized meatballs. This ensures they cook evenly.
- Spread the meatballs out on the pan – at least 1 inch apart. This helps the meatballs brown better.
I’m showing these turkey mushroom meatballs with a cranberry dipping sauce. It’s optional but adds a festive twist and the sweet-tart sauce pairs well with the turkey and mushroom flavors. Use my cranberry sauce or your personal favorite.
And here’s another reason to love this recipe. It freezes well. To reheat cooked meatballs from frozen, place on a microwave-safe plate and cover. Heat 2 – 2½ minutes on 50% power for moist and juicy meatballs a few at a time. Reheat larger batches in the oven when you get those last-minute guests!
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I can hardly believe it! Go ahead and pin this recipe and add it to your menu list, so there’s one less thing to do.
Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs
Ingredients
- ½ lb. mushrooms finely chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup onion finely chopped (about ½ large onion)
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 lb. ground turkey breast
- ½ cup coarsely ground cornmeal or dry cornbread stuffing
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or brush or spray with oil.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Using a meatball scoop or melon baller, scoop the mixture to form 24 - 1½ inch meatballs. The meatballs should be very moist but hold the shape when placed on the sheet pan. Place 1 inch apart on the pan.
- Bake uncovered 18-22 minutes until the center of the meatballs reaches 165ºF on a meat thermometer. Serve warm as is with mini skewers or with cranberry sauce for dipping. I added a sprinkle of parsley for extra color!
Notes
Tips for making the best meatballs
- Finely chop the onion and celery by hand or use a food processor. This is critical for a smooth texture, and it also helps the meatballs maintain moisture.
- Use gloved hands and a scoop for less mess and consistently sized meatballs. This ensures they cook evenly.
- Spread the meatballs out on the pan - at least 1 inch apart. This helps the meatballs brown better.
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites
Such a great idea to blend in mushrooms! I love the little bits of cranberry and the burst of flavor they give!
Marisa
The mushrooms really help keep the meatballs moist and yes those bits of cranberry really add a fun little flavor boost!
Jen
These look so delicious. I am a huge fan of using mushrooms to make ground beef or turkey go farther!
Marisa
Me too. It’s one of my favorite adds for tacos, meatballs, and burgers too! Hope you get to try these!
Jenna
I was working on our Friendsgiving menu and love the idea of these! Cranberries right in the stuffing is genius.
Marisa
This is my first year doing a Friendsgiving menu and I’m so excited to include these! Enjoy!
Susie
I was wondering wondering what people served with these meatballs
Marisa Moore
I serve them as an appetizer with cranberry sauce. It’s very easy though to keep eating them. They would pair well with wild rice or pilaf and green beans for a balanced meal.
Pam Greer
This is such a great idea! I love replacing some of the meat with mushrooms! These meatballs would go quickly at my house!
Marisa
Pam, I tested these three times. They did not last in my house either! And yes, the mushrooms really make these so yummy and help stretch the recipe too!
Suzy
These stuffing meatballs are such a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing!
Jen
I’d like to double the servings for the Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs. Can I simply double the ingredients and the bake time? Thanks So much!!
Marisa
Hi Jen. Fine to simply double the ingredients. However, I’d also double the number of meatballs, put them in two separate pans and keep the bake time about the same, maybe a tad longer if needed to reach a safe internal temperature. Enjoy!
Kim
How do you make the cranberry dipping sauce?
Marisa
Hi Kim. It’s just cranberry sauce. I recommend a homemade one like this https://marisamoore.com/instant-pot-cranberry-orange-sauce/ but you can use whatever you have onhand or skip it altogether. I didn’t feel the need for a sauce honestly.
Kori
These look amazing. We have a mushroom allergy in our house. Is there a substitution I could use?
Marisa
Hi Kori,
Sorry to hear about the allergy. You can just leave the mushrooms out. I haven’t tested the recipe that way so I can’t say for use. But I’d imagine you’ll need to adjust the cornmeal a bit – maybe to use less.
Julie
I wonder if you could use zucchini? That would make them super moist!
Marisa
Zucchini would add moisture for sure. The mushrooms add lots of moisture and flavor. I haven’t tried it but If you try zucchini, you should probably swap that for the mushrooms – not use both.
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
Marisa
You can roll them and refrigerate a day before cooking. Or cook, and freeze them up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, I suggest doing that in the oven covered with foil with a little broth as needed to keep them from drying out.
Lynn
Is it okay to use dried bread crumbs instead of cornmeal in the meatballs? Not a fan of cornmeal. This recipe looks yummy! A must try for my family!
Marisa
Yes. Perfectly fine to use dry breadcrumbs in the same quantity. Enjoy!
Liz P
Wow! These were fantastic! I can’t wait to try more of you recipes!
Marisa
Thanks so much, Liz. So glad you enjoyed the recipe well ahead of the holiday season!
Susan
I’m anxious to try this recipe. Sounds so good. Did you use cooked or raw turkey in the recipe?
Marisa
Hi! The recipe works with raw ground turkey. It’s a good recipe – so full of flavor:)
Dakota
I made these for Thanksgiving yesterday since it was just my partner and I for the holidays and wanted to do something simple. These were SO good! We live in a new 5th wheel but don’t want to use a lot of propane since we’re in the winter season now so I didn’t get to make all of my batch yesterday – could we cook these in a slow cooker and if so, what would be your suggestion on doing so? Should I add some chicken broth to keep them from drying out or would they be okay alone? Thanks again for the amazing recipe!
Susie Pine
Can these be reheated in a slow cooker?
Marisa Moore
I’ve not tried that. It might be ok if you add some chicken or turkey broth to the slow cooker. That would keep them moist while reheating.
Debbie Reinhart
Made tonight for dinner, added tsp each of thyme, sage and oregano.
R
How crucial to flavor balance are the dried cranberries? I’m concerned about the added sugar (and sweetness in general), and wonder if there is an alternative.
Marisa Moore
The cranberries add flavor and texture but can be omitted if you prefer. The recipe will works without them.