Ingredients
Meat Mixture:
1 lb ground turkey (max. 90% lean)
1/3 cup rice
1 egg substitute egg
2 Tbsp diced shallots
¾ tsp dried thyme
Pinch of dried sage
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Other Ingredients:
2 ounces sharp cheddar, cut into ½" cubes + additional grated for topping
Sauce:
2 quarts V-8 juice (2" in pan)
2 tsp chili powder
1 large green pepper, chopped
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand. Once mixed, divide the mixture into meatballs, each about 1-1/2" diameter. Stuff each with a cheese cube and smooth closed with your fingertips, rolling gently in your palms to make round again if necessary. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Combine the vegetable juice and chili powder in a large saucepan, and heat to just boiling. (The liquid should be deep enough to cover the meatballs when added.) Add the meatballs, cover, bring back to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the liquid and set them aside while you use the liquid to make the sauce as follows. Set aside 1 cup of the hot liquid and add ½ cup all-purpose flour to it, mixing until combined and there are no clumps of flour. To the liquid still in the pot, add the chopped pepper, bring it back to a boil, and stir in the flour mixture. Cook to desired thickness. (I recommend cooking down to half.)
Serve meatballs topped with sauce and grated cheese.
