You know I love to roll my favorite flavors into Meatballs of Love!

The warm Indian spices found in Butter Chicken were the perfect pairing for meatballs. And the sauce is pure heaven!

The Curry Spice Blend

Curry in its most basic form is a type of sauce used in Indian cooking. These sauces or gravies are seasoned with a blend of spices, typically including cumin, turmeric, coriander and others like garam masala (which is a blend on its own) and chili powder.

I’ve found preparing the curry spice blend first when making a recipe like this to be a great time saver. Measure once, use twice.

We’re going to incorporate the same seasoning blend in the meatballs and the curry sauce.

• Ground cumin
• Garam masala
• Ground coriander
• Turmeric
• Red chili powder
• Salt

The Chicken Meatball Ingredients

Ground chicken is a wonderful protein that loves big bold flavors. The meatball ingredients come together quickly!

• Ground chicken
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Curry Spice Blend
• Egg
• Panko breadcrumbs

Meatball Preparation

• Mix all the meatball ingredients (except chicken)
• Then add the ground chicken and mix until just combined
• Roll into 1 1/2″ meatballs
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet
• Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes

The Butter Curry Sauce Ingredients

Like Chicken Tikka Masala, the curry sauce is savory with hints of ginger and garlic. However Butter Chicken also brings a smooth buttery consistency.

• Ghee
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Curry Spice Blend
• Tomato paste & sauce
• Chicken broth
• Cream or coconut milk
• Butter
• Salt & sugar to taste

Butter Curry Sauce Preparation

• The sauce begins by sautéing grated onion with melted ghee or butter for 4-5 minutes
• Then the garlic & ginger are added and sautéed for an additional minute
• Add the curry spices and cooked off for a minute
• Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce along with a little chicken broth to bring the ingredients together

• The sauce is then blended until smooth and returned to the pan
• The cream and butter are whisked in
• A final seasoning of salt and a touch of sugar to taste bring the sauce together
• Serve meatballs over basmati rice, covered in curry butter sauce, garnished with fresh cilantro

This sauce is fragrant and full of spice flavor without heat. It’s luscious served over a bed of basmati rice topped with the tender butter chicken meatballs.

Simple Butter Chicken Meatballs over Basmati Rice is on our comfort food rotation!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Simple Butter Chicken Meatballs Over Basmati Rice

The warm Indian spices found in Butter Chicken were the perfect pairing for meatballs. And the sauce is pure heaven!

Course Entree

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Curry Spice Blend

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the Chicken Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup grated onion squeezed dry in kitchen or paper towel
• 3 cloves fine minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 Tablespoons Curry Spice Blend see above
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten free for GF Version)

For the Butter Curry Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons ghee or butter
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 3 cloves fine minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 3 Tablespoons Curry Spice Blend see above
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt to taste

For the Basmati Rice

• 1 cups basmati rice triple rinsed and drained
• 1 Tablespoon ghee or butter
• 1 3/4 cups water
• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

For the Curry Spice Blend

• Combine the curry spices in a jar.

For the Chicken Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients, except the chicken in a large bowl. Add in the ground chicken and mix until just combined. Roll meatballs into 1 1/2" diameter and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

For the Basmati Rice

• Meanwhile, melt ghee in a skillet with a tight fitting lid. Saute rinsed and drained basmati rice for 2-3 minutes until all grains are nicely coated with ghee. Add water and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.

For the Butter Curry Sauce

• While meatballs bake and rice cooks, prepare the sauce. Melt ghee in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add in grated onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook for an additional minute. Add remaining curry spice blend and stir for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Then add tomato sauce and chicken broth and whisk until incorporated well. Bring sauce to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Transfer sauce to a blender and process until smooth. **Careful with hot liquids when removing blender lid** Add sauce back to saucepan and whisk in cream and butter, heat through. Season with sugar and salt to taste.

  Serve meatballs covered in butter curry sauce with a side of basmati rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

The post Simple Butter Chicken Meatballs Over Basmati Rice appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

These spinach and ricotta ‘dumplings’ are soft and tender and practically melt in your mouth.

The simple ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, then boil until they float.

I experimented with the ratio of ricotta & spinach to flour. The result was that the Malfatti held together nicely even when the flour was reduced. Yielding a dumpling with more spinach flavor which is absolutely delicious.

Malfatti are classically served with sage brown butter and crispy sage leaves, one of my most favorite flavor pairings.

Sage Brown Butter

To make sage brown butter, simply melt butter in a skillet over med-low heat, toss in some fresh sage leaves.  Allow to cook, stirring occasionally until butter turns a nice golden brown.  Remove the sage leaves and most the butter to a small dish. Toss several Malfatti dumplings in the same pan, then spoon additional butter and crispy sage leaves over top when plating.

We loved them so much that I’ve made them multiple times over the past several weeks. Because these dumplings taste very mild, the intense sensual flavor of the sage brown butter is fabulous.

That said, I also served the Malfatti plated with a tomato sauce and basil pesto, then topped them with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese. Another fantastic pairing.

Malfatti can be made ahead and refrigerated then boiled just before serving. This makes them a wonderful weeknight ‘meatless’ meal or as a first course appetizer for a more formal Italian themed evening.

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Malfatti {Spinach & Ricotta Dumplings}

These Malfatti {spinach and ricotta 'dumplings'} are soft and tender and practically melt in your mouth.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Malfatti

• 21 ounces fresh spinach discard any hard stems
• 8 ounces Ricotta cheese drained well
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup semolina flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon frehly grated nutmeg

For the Sage Brown Butter

• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 12-15 fresh sage leaves

Instructions

For the Malfatti

• Place ricotta into fine mesh strainer and allow any liquid to drain off.
• In a large skillet, add spinach with a sprinkle of water and salt over medium heat. Cook covered until wilted, using tongs to turn a couple times during cooking. Drain in a colander until cooled. Place cooked spinach in a clean cotton dish towel and completely wring out all liquid. Finely chop spinach.
• In a bowl, combine drained ricotta and spinach with egg, parmesan cheese, flour, semolina, salt and nutmeg. Mix until evenly incorporated. Roll into 1 1/2" balls.
• Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook Malfatti in batches in boiling water until they float, about 2-3 minutes.

For the Sage Brown Butter

• Melt butter in a skillet. Add sage leaves and cook over medium-low heat until sage is crispy and butter is golden brown. Remove the sage leaves and most of the butter to a small bowl. Add the Malfatti to the pan in batches and gently stir to coat. Plate with a spoonful of sage brown butter, crispy sage leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The post Malfatti {Spinach & Ricotta Dumplings} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

April was a record sales month at my office.  And we all know what that means.  It’s PARTY TIME.  We decided on a Hot Diggity Dog Party with all the fixins.  I’ve been wanting to share my Hot Dog Chili Recipe and this was the perfect chance.

Hot Dog Chili is quite different from traditional chili…if there is a traditional chili.  The main difference is the texture.  Hot Dog Chili has a fine texture which works oh so nicely as a topping for your favorite hot dog.

Start with finely diced onion, sautéed until tender.  Then add in minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute before adding the ground beef.

The key to achieving the fine texture is adding water while you are browning the meat.  About a 1/2 cup of water per each pound of meat will do the trick.

Once your meat is cooked through and no longer pink, it’s time to season.

Because I was making this batch to serve to 50 people I kept the seasoning pretty tame.  A combination of chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne.

Next comes a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and tomato sauce.  Simmer the chili for about 20 minutes then adjust seasoning to taste.

I mentioned Hot Dogs and all the fixins.  In addition to hot dogs and hot dog chili we had coleslaw, sauerkraut, baked beans, tossed salad, macaroni & cheese, a giant pot of homemade chili, and an amazing Frito Salad.  As a bonus I’m sharing this super fun and hugely popular recipe that my buddy and co-worker Bethany brought today.

Frito Salad
1 full size bag (10.5 ounce) Fritos
1 green bell pepper, diced
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can Ranch Style beans (seasoned kidney beans)
1/2 – 1 cup Catalina Dressing

Combine peppers, tomatoes, beans, cheese and about 1/2 cup dressing.  Right before serving toss with Fritos.  Add additional dressing if needed.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Hot Dog Chili

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tbl. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• Serve with hot dog buns hot dogs, diced onion & shredded cheddar

Instructions

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté diced onion in oil until tender. Add in garlic and sauté an additional minute then add the ground beef and water.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir the meat, breaking it into small pieces. Continue cooking; stirring frequently until meat is cooked through and no longer pink.
• Add in seasonings, ketchup, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

The post Hot Dog Chili appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

If you’re looking for a ‘family friendly’ one-pot-wonder our Skillet Cheesy Ravioli Bake might just be the one.  The ingredients are added and cooked in layers, then into the oven for a final bake. 

Here is the step by step assembly.

Step 1 ~ Assemble ingredients and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2 ~ Saute onion in a little olive oil over medium heat until tender.

Step 3 ~ Add ground beef, brown, then drain off any fat.

Step 4 ~ Add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.

Step 5 ~ Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

Step 6 ~ Add in fresh or frozen ravioli and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Step 7 ~ Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and dollops of ricotta cheese.

Step 8 ~ Add more cheese, like shredded or fresh mozzarella (or both).

Step 9 ~ Into a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until cheese has melted.  Finish under broiler to lightly brown cheese topping.

Step 10 ~ Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Then prepare to get very, very comfortable.

This dish should easily serve a family of 5-6.  Perhaps I should have mentioned up front that we enjoyed this dish on the eve of embarking on a low-carb eating adventure (as you can see, the two of us REALLY enjoyed it).

Recipe inspiration from Bev Cooks.

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Skillet Cheesy Ravioli Bake

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 large onion diced
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 12- ounces of fresh or frozen ravioli
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8- ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble all ingredients, beat egg with ricotta cheese and reserve.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground beef, cook until browned. Drain off any fat.
• Add dried herbs and seasonings. Stir to combine.
• Pour sauce over meat mixture and bring to a simmer.
• Nestle ravioli evenly into sauce and gently simmer for 10 minutes
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and dollops of ricotta/egg mixture.
• Spread shredded mozzarella evenly on top. Then arrange mozzarella slices on top.
• Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Finish under broiler for a lightly browned cheese topping.
• Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and Enjoy.

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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks {with Herbed Ricotta & Tomato Sauce}.

I can’t recall the last time I was so excited about a recipe.  I mean I’m really, really excited about this one.  Over the past several months we’ve been perfecting Parmesan Herb Roasted Potatoes.  That’s culinary talk for we’ve been eating them every chance we can.  Last night it hit me.  Why not turn this lovely head of cauliflower into Parmesan Herb Roasted Cauliflower Steaks.

Heck we’ve transformed almost every potato recipe we can think of into it’s cauliflower counterpart.  We love cauliflower.  Last year it was Brussels sprouts, this year it’s cauliflower.  We’ve made cauliflower mash, cauliflower ‘potato’ salad, cauliflower rice, cauliflower cheese grits, roasted cauliflower, cauliflower puree, even cauliflower pizza crust.

However until tonight, we had never made Cauliflower Steaks.  Oh My Wow.  The combination of the Tuscan Herb Olive Oil (that I’m in love with), Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs turned this modest vegetable into the belle of the ball.

As the cauliflower steaks were roasting, they began to sing and dance.  Our kitchen became a whirling twirling aroma happy place.  Hints of rosemary and oregano filled the air as the steaks sizzled in Tuscan oil. 

It seemed quite fitting to take these in an Italian direction and serve them with herbed ricotta cheese and tomato sauce.  Boy was I was right.  Did I tell you how excited I am about this recipe?!  I brought leftovers into the office today (about 4 bites worth) and got the ‘weak in the knees’ look from my taste tester.  I promised I would share this Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Herbed Ricotta & Tomato Sauce recipe ASAP.

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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks {with Herbed Ricotta & Tomato Sauce}

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 280kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 Tbl. olive oil I used Tuscan herb
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1 handful fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat shallow baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Place cauliflower core side down on a cutting board. Slice into 1-inch thick steaks, the ends will fall apart into florets (reserve those for another dish). You should be able to get 4 1-inch thick steaks.
• Combine olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Spread mixture over both sides of cauliflower. Place steaks on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes on one side. Turn over and cook another 10 – 15 minutes until nicely browned.
• Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a small pan. Mix ricotta cheese with Mrs. Dash seasoning and reserve.
• Serve roasted cauliflower steaks with Herbed Ricotta and Tomato Sauce.

Notes

Per Serving (2 cauliflower steaks, 1/8 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup tomato sauce) = 6 WW Pts+

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Sometimes I crave Spaghetti & Meatballs.  I’m not really a big ‘craver’…if that is a word, except Chocolate cravings….those happen most days at either 3 pm or and 9 pm.

It’s Day #2 of Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week.  As I walked out the door it occurred to me – should I thaw Chicken or Ground Turkey?  Turkey it was and meatballs it became.

We love ground turkey and often choose it over ground beef.  First and foremost because ground turkey begs for you to add flavor and seasoning and that suits our cooking quite well.  A Pasta Sauce, Basic Tomato Sauce or Marinara Sauce is so versatile that we keep containers frozen for just such an occasion.

Nothing really special about this Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe.  You may be wondering why I would even bother posting it.  Lemony Thyme, above all else, is a place for me to record recipes and share them.  The truth is it has become a recipe box for me and I use it as a resource, as I hope some of you will.  Oh and there is this crazy idea that popped into my head about making a Spaghetti & Meatball Grilled Cheese Sandwich…in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month of course ;)

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Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 cups Tomato Sauce see recipe links in post
• 1/2 lb. cooked spaghetti

For meatballs…

• 1 1-1/4 lb. Jennie-O Ground Turkey
• 1 egg
• 1 slice bread ground fine
• 2 Tbl. Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup onion fine diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbl. fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line shallow baking sheet with non-stick foil.
• Combine all meatball ingredients, until just blended (do not overwork). Form into 2″ balls and place on foil lined baking sheet, we made 15.
• Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until cooked through.
• Serve meatballs over cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce.

You might also like our Great Big Italian Meatballs recipe.

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Chicken Parmesan over pasta makes me comfortable and happy.  Today I delivered it to a friend with hopes it does the same for her :) 

Chicken breasts, lightly breaded, pan browned, topped with a basic tomato sauce, mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.  Easy comfort.

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