Cajun Chicken Meatballs in Tasty Cream Sauce

Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.

• 2 tablespoons low sodium cajun seasoning (plus 1 teaspoon)
• 4 cloves minced garlic (divided)
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 each large egg
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (plus more for serving)
• 1 ¼ pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onions (yellow or red)
• ½ cup red or yellow bell peppers (minced)
• ½ cup mushrooms (minced)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons basil or fresh parsley (chopped, for serving)
• As Needed Black pepper

1. MIX: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of cajun seasoning, 2 cloves minced garlic, and all the other ingredients except the ground chicken. Add ½ teaspoon of black pepper and mix using a fork. The mixture will resemble a coarse breading. Add the ground chicken and mix until *just combined. Do not overwork the meat. Roll into 18-22 meatballs. Mine were about 1½ tablespoons each.
2. COOK: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet but do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if they don't all fit. Sear the meatballs for 4-5 minutes, flipping to brown all sides evenly. Remember you want to just brown the outside and not cook them all the way through. Remove meatballs to a plate. Repeat until all the meatballs are cooked.
3. SAUCE: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the remaining garlic and the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion begins to turn translucent. This will help unstick all the brown bits from the meatballs and flavor the sauce. Add the peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook until they soften, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and the remaining teaspoon of cajun seasoning over the veggies and push the veggies around the pan to coat evenly and cook for about a minute or until the flour starts to deepen in color.
4. FINISH: Stir the mixture as you pour in the chicken broth. Lower the heat, whisk in the sour cream until it dissolves completely. Allow sauce to come back to a gentle simmer before lowering the heat and letting the sauce thicken, about 6-12 minutes. When the sauce is halfway there, add the chicken meatballs and let cook for 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer for doneness. Sprinkle with the parsley or basil before serving.