Chicken Apple Meatballs with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
A delightful dish featuring savory chicken meatballs infused with apples, served with creamy mashed sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.5 cup yellow onion, diced
- 0.5 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 oz cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 0.5 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 0.25 cup parsley, chopped
- 0.25 cup walnuts, finely diced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 0.5 tsp cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp coriander
- 0.5 tsp cumin
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1 tsp cayenne (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the sweet potatoes for 60-75 minutes until a knife easily cuts through the center without resistance. Start this process 30 minutes before making the meatballs.
- In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion, apple, and a pinch of salt for about 5-7 minutes until they soften. Deglaze the pan with soy sauce, then set aside to cool.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, walnuts, ginger, salt, pepper, cayenne, and the cooked onion/apple mixture. Mix well using your hands.
- Shape the mixture into 2-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet. This recipe yields about 14-16 meatballs. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Use a fish spatula if needed to remove them from the baking sheet.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done, peel them and place the flesh in a bowl. Add butter, maple syrup, and spices. Mash everything together with a fork.
- Serve the meatballs with the mashed sweet potatoes and an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
For a twist, try adding a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary to the mashed sweet potatoes for extra flavor.