Make-Ahead Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan

Looking for a make-ahead dish that everyone will love? These Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan are it! They're bursting with fabulous flavor and are perfect for weeknight family dinners and easy entertaining!

I've been making these Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan for several months now and thought it was past WAY past time to share it with you.

Make-Ahead

I love serving this recipe to guests because both the sauce and the meatballs can be made a day or two in advance. Combine them in a pretty oven-safe serving pan, top with cheese then 20-30 minutes before serving, simply pop it in the oven and... voila! A fabulous dinner without any last-minute stress!

Basil Chicken Meatballs

These meatballs come together easily. Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stir them together with a sturdy spatula, wooden spoon or just use your hands. I like to use a retractable cookie scoop to make easy, consistent-sized portions. Then simply roll each scoop into a ball, place them on a foil-lined sheet pan and give each one a little drizzle with olive oil.

You can see why they're called Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan - they're loaded with fresh basil! There's also a good portion of Parmesan cheese... so the name tells it all!

The meatballs bake quickly and there's no need to worry about browning as they will be submerged in the delicious tomato sauce.

The sauce

Instead of taking more pictures of how the sauce and meatballs come together, my daughter-in-law, Lindsay, put together a great video of the whole easy process. Check it out:

How to serve these meatballs

I like to serve these Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan alongside pasta, either linguini or fettuccine. We enjoy the fresh pasta that you can purchase in the refrigerated section of many larger grocery stores. In our area, it's made by Buitoni but there are other brands available too. This type of pasta is super tender and only takes a few minutes to cook... a win-win!

I often cook this type of pasta before our guests arrive, drain it, drizzle it lightly with olive oil then use two forks to toss and coat it with the oil. It can then go in a bowl or platter and be warmed on low power in the microwave. Another option is to keep it covered in the strainer until just before serving then pour boiling water over it and let it drain well again. Either way works well!

Fancy... or not

Another fun way to serve these Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan is in individual oven-safe serving dishes like these pretty au gratin pans. It makes each portion look fancy and gives the servings a beautiful presentation.

I like to pair these delicious meatballs with a simple green salad like our French Bistro Salad (pictured below).

Low-carb

In our day-to-day lives, Scott and I try to stick to a fairly low-carb diet. Having a food blog means we have to test and taste LOTS of food so going low-carb when we're not testing recipes or entertaining helps to ward off the extra pounds. So when it's just the two of us, I serve these Basil Chicken Meatballs with just a salad or some roasted veggies.

Not so low-carb but so delicious!

On the other hand, when we're serving guests, we like to go all out! A basket of warm bread, like these Easy Brioche Dinner Rolls  deliciously completes the meal!

A repeat recipe

So there you have it - a delicious dinner recipe you'll want to put on your frequent flyer list! It will continue to be on mine. In fact, I'm going to stop writing. These Basil Chicken Meatballs are on the menu for tonight and it's time to preheat the oven - my mouth is starting to water!

Cafe Tips for making this Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan recipe:

• This recipe calls for ground chicken but ground turkey will also work. You can also take the same amount (1 pound) of chicken breast or thigh and chop it really fine in place of the ground meat.
• Because ground chicken and turkey are very lean, there is a tablespoon of olive oil in the meatball mixture to make them more moist.
• Note that there is no amount of salt in the sauce ingredients list. I found that I didn't need salt as both the bacon and Kalamata olives are salty. It's best to take a taste of the sauce when it's finishing cooking and add salt to taste at that point.
• A unique ingredient in this marinara sauce is a spoonful of chopped Kalamata olives. They add a nice saltiness and a pretty presentation however, if you don't care for olives, the sauce will also be delicious without them.
• This recipe calls for fresh basil in both the meatballs and the sauce. If you're not growing your own basil, look for one of the larger packs of basil at the grocery store. Trader Joe's sells large cartons of basil for a very reasonable price.
• Did you know you can grow basil all year round in a sunny window. I purchase a healthy-looking plant at my local grocery store, put it in a pot and place the pot in a sunny window. I make sure to give it a splash of water every day and find that it loves its life and supplies us with lots of delicious enjoyment.
• Baking soda in tomato sauce? Yes, there's just a pinch of baking soda in the ingredient list for this sauce. Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the tomatoes, letting their natural sweetness come through.
• These meatballs make great leftovers. Warm them in the microwave for a delicious lunch or use them in a meatball sandwich.

Thought for the day:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures:
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul:
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies:
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23

What we're listening to for inspiration:

All of My Days

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Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan

Chris Scheuer

Looking for a make-ahead dish that everyone will love? These Basil Chicken Meatballs Parmesan are it! They're bursting with fabulous flavor and are perfect for weeknight family dinners and easy entertaining!

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings 8

Calories 309

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

For the sauce:

• 2 strips thick-cut smoky bacon
• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, I love to use San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
• kosher salt, to taste

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground chicken, or turkey
• ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan and for drizzling
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

To finish:

• ¼ cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
• 6-8 ounces ounces fresh mozzarella balls or shredded whole milk mozzarella

For garnish:

• Italian seasoning
• fresh basil leaves
• toasted pine nuts

Instructions

 

For the sauce:

1. Cut the bacon in half, lengthwise then cut into small, ¼ -inch wide pieces.
2. In a medium-large sauté pan or braiser pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and most of the fat has been rendered. You should have about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat. If it looks like more remove the extra. If it's not right around 2 tablespoons, add a little olive oil.
3. Lower the heat a bit and add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped olives, baking soda and black pepper. Stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat (the mixture should be bubbling lightly) while you prepare the meatballs. (It should simmer for at least 30 minutes but longer is fine.)
5. When the sauce has finished simmering, take a little taste. If needed, add kosher salt, if needed. Add the fresh basil and stir to combine. Set aside.

For the meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean-up and drizzle it lightly with olive oil. Rub the oil with your fingers to coat the pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. With your hands or a large sturdy spatula, mix until combined. Don’t overwork the mixture.
3. Scoop up the meat mixture with an ice cream scoop (I make mine about 2½-3 tablespoons or 40g) and drop onto the prepared sheet pan. After all of the mixture has been scooped up, roll each portion into a round ball. If the dough seems sticky or hard to roll, lightly oil your hands in between every couple of meatballs. Space the meatballs out on the sheet pan.
4. Drizzle each meatball with a little more olive oil and bake for 15-17 minutes. The meatballs will take on just a bit of color but don’t expect them to be golden brown. (They will be covered with sauce and cooked a little more later.)
5. At this point, you can refrigerate both the sauce and the meatballs and put them together about 30 minutes before serving.

To finish:

1. About 30 minutes minutes before you want to serve the meatballs preheat the oven to 425˚F. While the oven is preheating, combine the meatballs with the sauce in the same pan you made the sauce in or another medium-large sauté pan or braiser pan. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs.
2. Scatter the parmesan over the top and finish with the mozzarella. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, if desired. Serve on its own or with pasta. I like to serve a bowl of toasted pine nuts at the table and let guests serve themselves.

Notes

This recipe will serve 6-8 people, depending on the portion size. (2 meatballs will yield 8 servings while 3 meatballs per person will yield 6 servings).

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition

Serving: 240g meatballsCalories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 22gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 924mgPotassium: 685mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 501IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 3mg

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-American