Description
Indulge in these tender Baked Chicken Ricotta Meatballs smothered in a luscious Spinach Alfredo Sauce. A comforting and flavorful dish perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the spinach Alfredo sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare meatballs: Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl, mix, form into meatballs, and bake for 20–25 minutes.
- Make the Alfredo sauce: Melt butter, sauté garlic, whisk in flour, add cream, Parmesan, spinach, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
- Combine: Toss meatballs in the sauce, simmer, and serve over pasta, rice, or bread.
Notes
- You can make the meatballs ahead and refrigerate or freeze before baking.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream and use part-skim ricotta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 4–5 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
