Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Meatballs
Bring the flavors of summer to your table with these Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Meatballs, paired with roasted tomatoes, bocconcini, crispy sourdough and balsamic drizzle.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Pesto Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Caprese sheet pan:
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups sourdough bread, cubed
- 2 cups mini bocconcini balls (patted dry)
- 15-20 basil leaves, roughly chopped
- Balsamic glaze (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and prepare two large sheet pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, pesto, egg, red pepper flakes, parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Divide the mixture into 12 equal sized balls (I used a medium cookie scoop/ about 2 tablespoon per ball). Arrange the meatballs on one of the sheet pans and set aside.
- Roast the tomatoes- to the other sheet pan add tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salt and black pepper. Toss to coat the tomatoes in the oil. Once coated, bake at 400F for 10 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are in the oven, cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. When the 10 minutes are up, increase the oven temperature to 425F and add the bread to the pan with the tomatoes. Place both the meatballs and the tomatoes/ bread into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, tossing the tomatoes/ bread once, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reads 165F and the bread is toasted.
- Once both are done, remove from the oven. Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly, before adding the bocconcini to the pan, and sprinkling with fresh basil. Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and you are ready to serve. (You can also add the meatballs to the sheet pan for serving if desired).
- I recommend serving over a bed of arugula with an additional drizzle of balsamic glaze for a light and refreshing summer meal.
Notes
- If you have a sheet pan large enough to bake the tomatoes, bread and meatballs together without overcrowding the pan- that is an amazing option for a minimal clean up meal however i have found most standard sized sheet pans tend to be slightly too small!
- The bread can be omitted if you are looking for a lighter option, though I do recommend pairing with a grain such as couscous, quinoa or orzo for a satisfying and balanced meal.
*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25pan | Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1445mg | Potassium: 998mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1587IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 4mg
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