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Turkey Meatball Sliders
with Red Leaf Lettuce & Cucumber Salad
Cook Time
35-45mins
Makes
4 Servings
Nutrition
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Sliders are, essentially, adorably undersized sandwiches. Here, we’re putting an Italian spin on the dish, using the meatball sub as inspiration! We’re filling ciabatta buns with homemade turkey meatballs slathered in tomato sauce and topped with melty provolone cheese. Flavored with traditional Italian spices and served with a delicate, red leaf lettuce and cucumber salad, these gourmet slider-subs are the perfect, family-friendly entrée.
Tips & Techniques
Tools from the Test Kitchen
Ingredients
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1⅛ Pounds Ground Turkey
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8 Ciabatta Slider Buns
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1 28-Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
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8 Slices Provolone Cheese
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4 Cloves Garlic
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1 Head Red Leaf Lettuce
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1 Kirby Cucumber
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1 Yellow Onion
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1 Shallot
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1 Tablespoon Meatball Slider Spice Blend (Whole Fennel Seeds, Dried Oregano, Dried Thyme, Whole Coriander Seeds, Sweet Paprika & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes)
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1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
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⅓ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Instructions
1
Prepare the ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the buns. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and small dice the onion. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; separate the leaves. Peel and mince the shallot to get 2 tablespoons of minced shallot (you may have extra); place in a medium bowl with the vinegar.
2
Cook the aromatics:
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, onion and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Turn off the heat. Transfer half the cooked aromatics to a medium bowl, leaving the remaining aromatics in the pan.
3
Form & brown the meatballs:
Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs and half the Parmesan cheese to the bowl of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 8 equal-sized meatballs. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
4
Make the tomato sauce & finish the meatballs:
While the meatballs brown, stir the crushed tomatoes into the pan of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the browned meatballs. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 7 to 9 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
5
Assemble & finish the sliders:
Place the buns on a sheet pan, cut sides up. Drizzle the bun tops with olive oil. Spread a layer of the tomato sauce onto each bun bottom (you may have extra sauce). Top each with a finished meatball and a slice of provolone cheese. Bake 2 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and top each slider with a toasted bun top. Transfer to a serving dish.
6
Make the salad & finish your dish:
To make the vinaigrette, add the remaining Parmesan cheese to the shallot-vinegar mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and cucumber. Add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette); toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve the finished sliders and salad with any remaining tomato sauce on the side. Enjoy!
1
Prepare the ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the buns. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and small dice the onion. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; separate the leaves. Peel and mince the shallot to get 2 tablespoons of minced shallot (you may have extra); place in a medium bowl with the vinegar.
2
Cook the aromatics:
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, onion and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Turn off the heat. Transfer half the cooked aromatics to a medium bowl, leaving the remaining aromatics in the pan.
3
Form & brown the meatballs:
Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs and half the Parmesan cheese to the bowl of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 8 equal-sized meatballs. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
4
Make the tomato sauce & finish the meatballs:
While the meatballs brown, stir the crushed tomatoes into the pan of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the browned meatballs. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 7 to 9 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
5
Assemble & finish the sliders:
Place the buns on a sheet pan, cut sides up. Drizzle the bun tops with olive oil. Spread a layer of the tomato sauce onto each bun bottom (you may have extra sauce). Top each with a finished meatball and a slice of provolone cheese. Bake 2 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and top each slider with a toasted bun top. Transfer to a serving dish.
6
Make the salad & finish your dish:
To make the vinaigrette, add the remaining Parmesan cheese to the shallot-vinegar mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and cucumber. Add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette); toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve the finished sliders and salad with any remaining tomato sauce on the side. Enjoy!
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