CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Mexican Meatballs

Are you looking for an appetizer for an upcoming holiday get-together? Try the following.

Mexican Meatballs

½ pound 93-percent lean ground beef

½ pound ground turkey breast

2 egg whites

¾ cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips

½ cup finely minced yellow onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, drained

1 cup canned red enchilada sauce, divided

Chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 18-by-13-inch jellyroll pan with nonstick spray coating. Mix beef, turkey, egg whites, crushed chips, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapenos and 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in large mixing bowl. Blend well. Shape into 1½-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared jellyroll pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully remove meatballs. Place in a decorative heat-proof serving dish. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce and bake additional 5 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are done and cooked to 165 degrees. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Yield: 30 meatballs.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

Tags: chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, mexican meatballs, features, food, recipes, meatballs