You know what I think about meatballs. And I’m also a big lover of cooking in sheets. So I combined these two favorites of mine to create the Sheet Barbecue Meatballs, including roasted peppers, onions, and large slices of pineapple sweet. This dish is tasty, simple and can be packed up to cook for the next day! WIN.
USE TWO SHEET PANS FOR THE BEST RESULTS
Although you may accomplish this on a single sheet pan, you’ll undoubtedly achieve better results with two pans. Why? Because onions and peppers can caramelize more effectively when they’ve got space to breathe. Suppose they’re crowded, steam can get trapped, and they’ll become somewhat soft and not have those lovely brown edges with a delicious flavor. However, if ease of use is your goal, you can utilize only one pan.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT MEAT?
Absolutely! These meatballs are great with ground beef, pork, or chicken instead of the ground turkey listed in the recipe.
DO I NEED TO LINE THE SHEET PANS?
It’s your decision. I decided to line the pan I used to cook my meatballs using parchment paper and leave the pan with the onions, peppers, and pineapple unlined. The sheet pan lined with parchment paper helps make cleaning easier. However, you see less caramelization as the vegetables aren’t directly in touch with a hot skillet. You can line the pans if you’re looking for an easy cleanup. If you value flavor more than convenience, leave your pan (or pans) not lined.
Meatballs
One lb. ground turkey ($3.89)
One large egg ($0.21)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs ($0.07)
Six Tbsp of BBQ sauce divided ($0.20)
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic ($0.03)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Sides
1 20oz. can of pineapple Slices (in the juice) ($0.89)
One yellow onion ($0.32)
One red bell pepper ($1.50)
One tablespoon of cooking oil ($0.04)
1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
Two onions with greens cut ($0.20)
1 cup white rice (uncooked) ($0.40)
INSTRUCTIONS
The oven should be heated to about 400oF. Mix the ground turkey egg, breadcrumbs, two tablespoons of BBQ sauce (reserve the remainder of 1/4 cup to use future use), spice powder for garlic, smoke paprika, and salt in one bowl. Mix all the ingredients by hand until well-mixed.
Form and split the mixture of meat into 16 balls. This is made more accessible by breaking the mix into equal portions, then dividing and shaping those parts into four meatballs. The combination could be pretty wet. It’s fine. Put the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment and put them aside.
Cut the onion and bell pepper into strips of 1/4-inch width. Place the onion and pepper slices on a separate baking tray (lined with foil or non-lined, whichever you prefer) and drizzle them with cooking oil. Mix to coat and sprinkle salt. Sprinkle the onions and peppers evenly across the other face of the baking tray.
Dry the pineapple slices out of the can with a paper towel. Place the pineapple slices on the second layer on the baking tray, along with onions and peppers.
Set both baking sheets into the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
While the pans for the sheet are baking and the rice is cooking, you can begin to cook it. Add the rice and 1.5 cups of water into a sauce pot. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to boiling. When it is boiling, then turn the heat down to a low. Allow the rice to simmer for about 15 minutes. Within 15 minutes, switch the heat off and let the rice sit unaffected and with the lid shut until the remainder of the meal is done.
After 15 minutes of roasting, take the pan and the vegetables and give the onions and peppers a chance to mix. Use a brush to lightly cover the pineapple slices with two tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Then, return the sheet pan to the oven.
Take the sheet pan off with the meatballs. Use your brush to light coat the meatballs in the remaining two tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Return the pans to the oven. Continue roasting both pans for a further 10 minutes.
When the meatballs, onions, peppers, and pineapple are roasted and ready to serve, it’s time for dessert! Fry the rice using a fork and add around 3/4 cup of rice into each bowl or dish-washing container. Divide the meatballs and peppers, pineapple, and onions into four bowls. Serve with slices of green onion. Then, have fun!
