Gluten Free Thai Turkey Meatballs with Rice Noodles

A Thai version of gluten free spaghetti and meatballs the whole family will love~ by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD

Disclosure: Dare Foods Incorporated compensated The Recipe ReDux (co-owned by ReganMillerJones, Inc. and Teaspoon Communications), to sponsor this recipe contest and also provided samples of Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic crackers. We are not eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

While coming up with this recipe for the latest Recipe ReDux member recipe challenge - sponsored by Dare Foods in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month - I discovered an easier and healthier way to make meatballs.

In muffin tins. In the oven.

Despite growing up Italian-American, I've never perfect the homemade meatball. I've had so many grease-splattered back splashes, burnt-on-one-side meatballs and falling apart in the pan ground meat fiascos that for years, I just bought them frozen from a local Italian market.

When I learned that Breton was challenging us ReDux members to come up with tempting and inventive, gluten free recipes using their new line of gluten free crackers, my mind went to one dish I'd certainly miss if I needed to follow a gluten free diet: spaghetti and meatballs. Since rice noodles are gluten free, I figured I'd do an Asian twist and use crushed Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax crackers as a substitute for bread crumbs.

And by the way, speaking as a gluten-eater, I was pleasantly surprised at how wheat-like and crispy both the Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic crackers tasted. Blindfold me and I would swear they were wheat crackers. I often buy Breton crackers for entertaining so it's great to know their new gluten free line stands up to the originals.

But, back to the baking of the meatballs and why I love this new method so much:

• Less mess - no more grease splatters from oil jumping out of the pan
• Healthier - no oil needed (I simply coated muffin tins with cooking spray.)
• Evenly cooked - with just one turn
• No fuss batch cooking  - I cooked 24 meatballs in 20 minutes

Gluten-Free Thai Turkey Meatballs with Rice Noodles

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• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

A Thai version of gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs the whole family will love.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the meatballs:

• 10 Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax crackers
• ½ pound lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 3 scallions, diced (about 2 tablespoons)
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced & peeled (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup gluten free fish sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the noodles:

• 1 (14 ounce) box rice noodles
• 1 ½ cups shredded carrots

For the garnish:

• Lime juice
• Fresh basil leaves

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven ot 400 degrees F.
2. To make meatballs, pulverize Breton Gluten Free crackers in a food processor until they look like fine bread crumbs. Add to large bowl with ground turkey,egg, scallions, ⅓ cup basil, ginger, black pepper and salt. Gently mix together by hand. Grease your hands and then shape into 1-inch meatballs (makes 36 meatballs.) Place each meatball into a mini muffin tin coated with spray.
3. Bake for 20 minutes and turn meatballs half way through cooking process. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
4. To make the sauce, whisk together gluten free fish sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper flakes, set aside.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, cook rice noodles according to package. When done cooking, place in a serving bowl and gently toss with the meatballs, sauce and shredded carrots.
6. Garnish with a few squirts of lime juice and fresh basil leaves, if desired.

When I heated up the leftovers of this dish the next day, I add in some chopped champagne mango and boy, did that take the flavors over the top - salty, sour, sweet and just a touch of heat - the essence of Thai cuisine. And gluten-free, no less!

Do you follow a gluten free diet? What are some of your favorite gluten free substitutions in recipes?

Check out how our other ReDux members have taken Breton Gluten Free crackers to another level with their creative, healthy and gluten-free recipes below.