Sous Vide Turkey Meatballs with Mozzarella and Pesto

Turkey is a great sous vide candidate as it never dries out using this method. The addition of cheese and pesto inside the meatballs really gives the punch this recipe needs. I guarantee no one will turn his or her nose up at these tasty sandwiches! The meatballs would be just as delicious if tossed with tomato sauce and served on top of spaghetti.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 01:00

Temperature : 145.4F / 63C

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons pesto
• 2 ounces mozzarella, torn into 1/4-ounce pieces
• 4 large dinner rolls, split, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 145ºF (63ºC).
2. In a medium bowl, combine turkey, scallions, egg, breadcrumbs, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
3. Divide the turkey mixture into 8 portions and press a slight indentation into each portion.
4. Top each portion of turkey mixture with 1/4 teaspoon pesto and 1/4 ounce mozzarella cheese. Press meat gently up and around the filling, sealing in the cheese and pesto. Shape each portion into a meatball.
5. Divide the meatballs between 2 large zipper lock bags. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique. Place the bags in the water bath and set the timer for 1 hour.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Carefully remove the meatballs from the bags and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat remaining 1/2 cup pesto in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, stirring gently to coat meatballs with hot pesto.
3. Place 2 meatballs in each dinner roll. Serve.