Chicken Meatballs in a Spinach & Feta Cream Sauce

A decadent and delicious quick weeknight meal!

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You’ll be surprised by how easy this quick chicken meatball in spinach and feta cream sauce is to make. Everything gets thrown in the food processor to make the meatballs, and the sauce is just a handful of ingredients. It’s hard to believe you can have this kind of meal on a weeknight! I use chicken thigh meat to keep the meatballs juicy, and heavy cream makes the sauce so rich and creamy. Plus, you can serve it over whatever you have on hand. This will be a family favorite.

Why this will be a family favorite

Soft herb chicken meatballs

Creamy garlic sauce

Melt in your mouth spinach

Briny chunks of feta

Just the right amount of heat

Bright lemon

Decadent, delicious creamy spinach and feta cream sauce with herby chicken meatballs!

Everything you need

For the Meatballs:

• Ground chicken thigh meat
• Unseasoned bread crumbs
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Large onion –coarsely chopped for the processor or finely chopped without
• Fresh parsley – coarsely chopped for the processor or finely chopped without
• Egg -beaten
• Garlic cloves -grated or minced
• Salt
• Dried thyme
• Black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes

For the Sauce:

• Olive oil
• Onion -finely chopped
• Garlic cloves -grated or minced
• Spinach leaves -fresh baby or regular
• Heavy cream
• Chicken broth
• Feta cheese -crumbled from a fresh block for the best flavor
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Lemon wedges for garnish

How to make chicken meatballs in a spinach and feta cream sauce

Make the Meatballs:

1. Pulse the onion in a food processor until finely chopped and add it to a large mixing bowl.
2. Pulse the parsley until finely chopped and add to the mixing bowl with all the other meatball ingredients.
3. Stir together until combined.
4. Form the meatballs and place them on a tray.

**Freezer option** Make extra meatballs and freeze them once formed for up to 3 months!

Cook the Meatballs:

• Add some oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
• Put the meatballs in the skillet, flipping them approximately every 2 minutes, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden all around.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate.

Make the Sauce

• If the skillet has too much oil, remove it until about 3-4 tablespoons are left in the pan.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the finely chopped onion.
• Cook until soft and golden.
• Add the garlic and warm through for a few seconds until fragrant.
• Then, add the spinach and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cook until wilted.
• Add the cream and broth and cook for 5 minutes.
• Then, add the meatballs, crumble the feta cheese on top, and warm through for 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and set aside until the sauce thickens.
• Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top before serving.

Serving

In my video, I serve this over spaghetti tossed with butter, salt, pepper, and oregano. However, the possibilities are endless here. Use what you have on hand. Any kind of pasta, crusty toasted bread, rice, or even cauliflower rice would be good. Put out a bowl of kalamata olives for anyone that would like to add them to their dish and call it a night. Please share your pictures with me and let me know what you serve it over. Kali Orexi!

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Chicken Meatballs in a Spinach & Feta Cream Sauce

Yield: Serves 5-6

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Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground chicken thigh meat
• 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Sauce:

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 8-12 oz spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz feta cheese
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

Pulse the onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Add it to a large mixing bowl.

Pulse the parsley until finely chopped and add to the mixing bowl along with all of the other meatball ingredients. Mix together until combined.

Form the meatballs and place them on a tray. (make extra and freeze them up to 3 months)

Cook the Meatballs:

Add some oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden all around. Flip them approx. every 2 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and if the skillet has too much oil, remove it until there are about 3-4 tablespoons left in the pan.

Reduce the heat to low and add the finely chopped onion. Cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and warm through for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the spinach and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until wilted.

Add the cream and broth and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, crumble the feta cheese on top and warm through for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside. The sauce will thicken as it sits. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top.

Serve with pasta, bread or cauliflower rice. Kali Orexi!

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