Slow Cooker Meatballs and Roasted Red Pepper Marinara

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

Sauce:

• 4 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste
• 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To make the meatballs, combine ground turkey with all meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Divide mixture and shape into 24 meatballs.
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown meatballs until light brown. Set aside.
4. Combine sauce ingredients in crock.
5. Gently stir in meatballs to cover with sauce.
6. Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW until meatballs are heated to at least 160°F internal temperature.
7. Serve over pasta.

Serves: 8

Test Kitchen Tips: 

• It is easier to brown meatballs in two batches.  Heat one tablespoon olive oil and brown 12 meatballs at a time.
• If you like thicker sauce, remove lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.