Turkey Mozzarella Meatballs

These little gems are a serious treat. I absolutely loved them. Then again I love anything that is basically exploding with cheese. I cubed up the cheese and added it to my meatball mixture. The cheese oozes everywhere, which is a dream scenario for me. With a last name of Thomas, you will correctly guess that I did not grow up in an Italian household. This means that for me, these turkey meatballs with a simple tomato sauce are really delicious. If you are a meatball and sauce purest, you should stop reading now because what follows will probably just upset you. Also, I am not quite as obsessed with ground turkey as you might think. It's just that whenever I go to the store these days, ground turkey seems to be on sale and I just can't resist a sale. I always buy a pound and then I have to think of some interesting way to use it because let's be honest, it is really bland and has no fat. Luckily, stuffing it with cheese provides all the fat they need. I also loved this dish because I had them with pasta one night and then as a meatball sandwich another night which is much more interesting then having the same thing for dinner two nights in a row.
Turkey Mozzarella Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 lb. turkey meat
1/2 block mozzerella cheese
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Slice the cheese into small cubes.
2. In a large bowl combine turkey, cheese cubes, finely minced garlic, sprinkle or red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and dried herbs.
3. Mix this thoroughly with your hands so that it is well combined.
4. Form tsp. sized meatballs and place them on a foil-lined baking tray.
5. Bake them in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until they are browned and the cheese is oozing all over the place. The total cheese ooze is perfectly OK. The cheese will have flavored the meat and will now flavor the sauce.
6. While the meatballs are cooking, blend a can of whole plum tomatoes in the blender with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. white sugar until smooth.
7. Pour tomato sauce in a pot and bring to a very gentle boil. Plop in the meatballs once they are out of the oven.
8. Test the sauce for seasoning. Serve the meatballs over pasta or on a roll for a meatball sandwich. Yum, yum, yum!