Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – Healthier Alternative To Wings

Anybody who knows me is aware of how big of a football fanatic I am. If I am not out cheering my team on, I am doing so at home and always want to make sure there are some good bites to enjoy. The usual suspects include pizza, burgers, chili, dips, and of course Buffalo wings. Last night I tried to get a little creative with ingredients I already had on hand and they turned out really well…at least my friends and I thought so. 🙂 So, here’s another super easy “recipe” from me to you.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground chicken
• 1 lrg egg
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt (I use fine Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot; whatever brand you prefer is fine)
• 6-10 stalks celery (however much you like)
• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese dressing
• Optional: 3-4 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

Tip: Whenever I add an egg binder to ground meat, I always like to add all of the spices/herbs to the mix so the flavors are thoroughly incorporated and I do not overwork the meat (it makes it tough and dry if you do).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread evenly with olive oil.

Crack egg in large mixing bowl. Whisk slightly. Add onion powder, pepper, salt and mix. Crumble ground chicken on top of egg mixture. Using your hands, gently combine everything together. Pour breadcrumbs on top and incorporate into meat mixture. Using your hands again (one of the best tools in the kitchen!), roll chicken mixture into ~ 12 golf ball sized rounds. Place balls on cookie sheet. Bake (uncovered, center rack) for 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, clean and cut celery into sticks. I also like to cut them in half lengthwise. Pour dressing into small serving bowl. If desired, add crumbled blue cheese to boost the flavor and make the “dip” thicker.

During last 8 minutes of baking, place butter in a shallow pan over low heat and allow to melt slightly. Add the Buffalo sauce and stir. Allow to cook for approximately 5 minutes so the sauce with reduce a bit and become thicker. Remove cooked meatballs from oven and transfer them to skillet. Toss them in the sauce, being certain to coat all areas. Cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve all as desired. Enjoy! One pound of chicken makes about 12 meatballs – can serve as appetizer or meal. Great for a party too – simply double, triple, multiply the recipe as many times as you like to make larger batches. Cheers!