Chicken Parmesan Meatballs - ☺♥

Apart from the fact that the name of this delectable treat is illogical (Fowl isn't Meat) the rest of what you are about to read is the real thing. I went looking on the Internet for chicken recipes to find something out of the ordinary that I might be allowed to eat during my recovery from a recent illness. What I found, with my modifications, turned out to be pure serendipity. All it took was one taste of the meatballs (Fowlballs? [ha, ha!]) and I knew I had another great addition for Food Nirvana. On thinking about various ways these meatballs might be served I concluded the most appropriate food category, from the categories available within Food Nirvana, was Appetizers, for these things taste so good they should be served as is at parties. Perhaps one day I will create a Comfort Food category within Food Nirvana and populate it with a variety of named dishes, some of which will be cross-referenced where appropriate to recipes listed within Food Nirvana by food type, like entries under the category, Fowl.

Okay, the first thing to do is to give credit for the recipe as I first found it, and the source is apparently Rachael Ray of Food Network®. I tip my hat to Rachael, for this recipe, admittedly with my considerable variations from the given recipe, is excellent. I am sure you will find this to be a very easy recipe and that you will really enjoy the results. I was completely and very pleasantly surprised. The recipe as given below makes 24, 1 1/4" diameter meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup of Hellmann's® Mayonnaise

1 tbsp. of Bell's® Poultry Seasoning

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. of sea salt

4 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If your oven has a convection oven feature then use it.

Grind the chicken breast pieces using a meat grinder. I use the appropriate grinder attachment with my KitchenAid® mixer.

Mix all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a two or three quart mixing bowl. Mix well with a large spoon and then by hand to assure complete mixing.

Form the mixture using your hands into approximately 24, 1 1/4" diameter meatballs, placing the meatballs onto a sheet of waxed paper.

Put the olive oil into a large high temperature resistant heavy skillet. I use a 12" diameter all metal stainless steel with steel cladded copper base skillet.

Place the meatballs onto the olive oil with even spacing, then heat the skillet on medium high heat until the meatballs start to sizzle in the olive oil.

Saute' the meatballs on medium heat for about three minutes (it is not necessary to turn the meatballs over during saute'ing) and then place the skillet into the preheated oven.

Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then turn on the broiler and broil for five minutes without allowing any time for the broiling element to reach proper temperature. The idea is to lightly brown the tops of the meatballs. It is smart to check the degree of doneness after three to four minutes to make sure the tops of the meatballs do not become dark.

Remove the skillet from the oven and put the meatballs on a paper towel to cool slightly and to drain off any excess olive oil.

Serve the meatballs hot in a preheated serving bowl, along with whatever other hor d'ourvres you are providing to your guests. They are excellent as is without any sauce or other seasoning.

Expect applause. It will be forthcoming.