Slow Cooker Greek Meatballs

I was compensated for this post by Farm Rich. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Change up your everyday meatballs and add some Greek into the mix. This easy Greek tomato sauce is cooked with turkey meatballs for a great meal.

Did you know that January is National Slow Cooking Month? Certainly makes sense as the temperatures continue to drop and we end up craving more comforting foods to compensate, which often can be prepared in a slow cooker. As such, I paired up with Farm Rich this month to create a fun recipe perfect for winter and slow cooking using their frozen Meatballs.

While I love making things from scratch, sometimes I don’t have time to do so every single day so it’s nice to have some frozen options. All of the Farm Rich products are made with wholesome ingredients, quick-frozen and carefully packaged so you can prepare great tasting food even with the busiest schedule. Their Meatballs are gluten free, and come in three varieties: Italian Style, Turkey, and Original.

I used the Turkey variety to make slow cooker Greek meatballs which are similar to Italian meatballs but with Greek spices and served over rice. First you make a Greek-spiced tomato sauce, place the Meatballs in a slow cooker, cover with the sauce, and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Viola dinner is served!

Can’t get enough meatballs? Try using these meatballs to make Spanish Meatballs.

The Farm Rich Meatball Truck Tour will be coming to greater Columbus, OH Walmart Supercenter locations (and other cities in Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio). At each stop, there will be free samples of Meatballs and recipes ideas to help you and your busy schedule during the New Year. The dates the tour will be in greater Columbus are January 4-8, 11-15, and 18-19 in 2017. Specific times and store locations can be found at: https://farmrich.com/meatball-tour.

One year ago: Spiralized Zucchini Pesto Caprese Salad

Four years ago: Baby Chicken Fingers with Apple

Five years ago: Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Six years ago: Homemade Vanilla Extract

SLOW COOKER GREEK MEATBALLS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 (16 oz.) cans finely chopped tomatoes, with juice

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 (28 oz.) bag frozen Farm Rich Turkey Meatballs

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk vigorously until flour browns very lightly.  Add the tomatoes, wine, parsley, garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until sauce thickens, about 30-40 minutes.  Add a bit of water during cooking if needed to keep the sauce from reducing too much. When done cooking, remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender).
2. Place Meatballs in a greased slow cooker. Pour sauce over the top, cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
3. When ready, serve Meatballs over rice pilaf, orzo, or mashed potatoes.

Source: Adapted from Marilena’s Kitchen.