Description
A hearty and comforting meatball and garlic bread traybake featuring tender turkey meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce, topped with gooey mozzarella, crispy garlic bread, and melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for a crowd-pleasing meal served with green salad or spaghetti.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs and Sauce
- 350g turkey thigh mince
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1½ tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings
- 150g ball mozzarella, torn into pieces
- 4 garlic breadsticks or garlic bread slices, torn or chopped into chunks
- 25g cheddar, grated
To Serve
- Green salad or spaghetti
Instructions
- Make the Meatballs: In a bowl, combine turkey thigh mince with dried oregano, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls to form the meatballs.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat half of the olive oil in a large, shallow ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned all over, about 5-7 minutes, transferring them to a plate once browned. They won’t be fully cooked at this stage.
- Prepare the Sauce: Heat remaining olive oil in the same pan. Add chopped onion and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly until softened. Add crushed garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Stir in tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Assemble the Traybake: Nestle the browned meatballs into the tomato sauce. Scatter torn mozzarella, chunks of garlic bread, and grated cheddar evenly on top of the meatballs and sauce.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the garlic bread is crisp and toasted.
- Serve: Serve the meatball and garlic bread traybake hot with a side of green salad or spaghetti for a complete meal.
Notes
- For extra flavour, you can add fresh herbs like basil or parsley on top before serving.
- If turkey mince is not available, chicken or lean beef mince can be substituted.
- The garlic bread can be homemade or store-bought; adjust quantity to preference.
- Leftover meatballs and sauce can be used to make cheesy meatball hot dog buns by stuffing in grilled buns with additional grated cheese and grilling until melted.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Keywords: meatball traybake, turkey meatballs, garlic bread, baked meatballs, tomato sauce, cheesy meatballs, family dinner
