One-Pot Chicken Meatballs With Greens

An upside down take on typical skillet meatballs, these juicy garlic-and-herb filled ones are smothered in greens rather than being cooked on top or alongside them, an ingenious trick to streamline efforts for weeknight cooks. The meatballs first brown in the pot for both color and flavor, then are covered with a mound of greens, which gently finishes cooking the meatballs. Scoop them up with a soup ladle, spooning the lemony pan sauce over everything. You can easily use ground turkey instead of chicken for this recipe. Both will yield tender and delicious meatballs. Both are also excellent sources of lean protein. Dark, leafy greens are some of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. Swiss chard is very rich in vitamin K, important for blood clotting. It also boasts vitamins A andC, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 40 minutes (15 minutes prep, 25 minutes cook time)

Ingredients

· ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

· ⅓ cup full-fat thick yogurt (preferably Greek or Icelandic)

· 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

· 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced

· 2 teaspoons dried oregano

· ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

· Salt

· 1 pound ground chicken

· ¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed

· 1 pound rainbow or Swiss chard (1 large or 2 small bunches), tender stalks sliced and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons

· 1 lemon, halved, ½ thinly sliced

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Cooking Instructions 

1. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, yogurt, garlic, scallions, oregano, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and gently mix until fully combined.

2. Coat your palms in olive oil, then shape the meat into 14 medium meatballs (about 2 inches each), making sure each is lightly coated with oil by refreshing the coating on your hands. Set the meatballs directly on a sheet pan or on parchment paper.

3. Heat a 12-inch Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid) over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until hot. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tilting the pot to coat the surface, then add the meatballs. Let cook until they are golden halfway up the sides, occasionally turning them when they easily release, adding extra oil if needed, about 7 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, to another large bowl, add the greens, lemon slices, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt; toss to coat the leaves, scrunching them up as needed.

5. Smother the meatballs with the greens and lemon slices. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the greens tender, 12 to 13 minutes.

6. Use a soup ladle to scoop up the meatballs, resting them on the greens, browned-side up and ladling any juices on top of the meatballs and greens. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving, if desired.

Nutrition per serving
356 calories; 24 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugar; 24 grams protein; 695 milligrams sodium

Recipe by Yasmin Fahr, NY Times Cooking

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