Cold weather means that rib-sticking meals are welcome at the dinner table. Noodles with meatballs and gravy are the ultimate comfort food, the food equivalent to a soft, warm sweater. Swedish meatballs are typically a combination of beef and pork simmered in a cream-based gravy. How do we make this delicious dish more heart healthy? The answer is a few simple swaps, including ground turkey for beef and pork, low-fat milk instead of cream, high-protein chickpea flour instead of wheat flour, and a generous amount of onion.
Chicken stock marries well with the white meat ground turkey, but you can use beef stock for a fuller, bolder flavor. It’s a choice: Beef stock is higher in protein, but chicken stock is lower in calories and fat. Low-fat milk is an easy swap for cream and is not likely to break or curdle due to the high starch content in the flour. If you have it on hand, chickpea flour is an ideal thickener because it is higher in protein than all-purpose flour.
Fat-free turkey, when overcooked, can be as dry as sawdust. By adding a large amount of cooked onion, we amp up the flavor and provide much-needed moisture that can help prevent dryness.
A hearty but healthy portion of lower-in-fat yolk-free noodles means you can feel good about snuggling up to a bowl of this quick, cozy dish.
Turkey Swedish Meatballs
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