Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach Alfredo Sauce Directions:

For the Chicken Ricotta Meatballs:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. Mix the Meatball Ingredients:

   • In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken breast, part-skim ricotta cheese, whole wheat breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, egg, salt, and pepper.
   • Mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

3. Form the Meatballs:

   • Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form the mixture into small meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake the Meatballs:

   • Lightly spray the meatballs with cooking spray to help them brown.
   • Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned.

For the Spinach Alfredo Sauce:

1. Cook the Spinach:

   • In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set aside.

2. Make the Alfredo Sauce:

   • In the same skillet, melt the light butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
   • Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden.
   • Gradually whisk in the unsweetened almond milk, continuing to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
   • Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, nutmeg (if using), salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
   • Add the cooked spinach back to the skillet and stir to combine.

3. Combine and Serve:

   • Once the meatballs are cooked, add them to the skillet with the spinach Alfredo sauce. Gently toss to coat the meatballs in the sauce.
   • Serve immediately, garnishing with additional Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs if desired.

WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs:
Due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.

WW Points Calculation:

Chicken Ricotta Meatballs:

• Ground chicken breast: 0 points (1 lb)
• Part-skim ricotta cheese: 4 points (1/2 cup)
• Whole wheat breadcrumbs: 3 points (1/4 cup)
• Grated Parmesan cheese: 2 points (1/4 cup)
• Large egg: 0 points
• Garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and cooking spray: 0 points

Spinach Alfredo Sauce:

• Light butter: 2 points (1 tbsp)
• All-purpose flour: 1 point (1 tbsp)
• Unsweetened almond milk: 1 point (1 cup)
• Grated Parmesan cheese: 4 points (1/2 cup)
• Fresh spinach, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper: 0 points

Total points for the entire recipe: 17 points

Serving Size and Points:

• This recipe makes about 4 servings.
• Each serving: 4.25 points (rounded to 4 points per serving in the WW app)

I await your comments! Enjoy!