Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Curry

I’ve been watching cookies get photographed at work all week. This, inevitably meant that I ate cookies all week. A lot of cookies. So when Matt mentioned curry as a dinner option this week, it had never sounded better. We make our curry with coconut milk which gives it a silky, smooth texture but it’s still soupy enough to feel rustic and comforting. The ease of meatballs and roughly diced veggies made this meal easy to assemble the day before, and just bake when I arrived home – it was a nice change of pace and was ready in a snap.

Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Curry





Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Stores well for leftovers, and also can be made ahead, refrigerated and popped in the oven when you‘re ready to eat it!





Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire

3 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp mustard

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, as needed





Coconut Curry

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 basket mushrooms, quartered

1 container cherry tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 cups peas

2 Tbsp red curry paste

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped





scallions, as needed for garnish





1. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs until well combined (but do not overmix, or they’ll get tough).

2. Form the mixture into balls and place into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ casserole dish. (If you want them to have a crisp crust, you can sear them briefly in 1 Tbsp oil until browned on each side, about 3 minutes per side over high heat).

3. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

5. Add the mushrooms and saute until they become tender, about 3-5 minutes more.

6. Stir in the tomatoes, curry paste, and coconut milk. Stir to heat through and form a smooth sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and cilantro.

7. Pour the mixture over the meatballs and bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly, the vegetables are tender, and the meat is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (it will take more like 10-15 if you sear the meatballs first).