Monica Sechler’s Chicken Meatball Recipe
Monica Sechler
Greetings from the Sechler kitchen! I am Monica (Bonetti) Sechler, wife of Scott Sr.
My favorite way to spend time is cooking, searching for new recipes and taking cooking classes. From a young age, I was surrounded by fabulous cooks. From hand-mixing and rising homemade pizza dough, to jarring quarts of handpicked peaches, and even picking and preparing grapes for homemade wine, the passion and patience my family had in the kitchen and garden was obvious. As a youngster, I didn’t always participate in the kitchen, but I can see now that this is where my curiosity for cooking started. The aromas, smiles and traditions are something you just want to recreate.
As Scott travels the world searching for new ideas and modern technology for Bell & Evans, I join him as much as possible. We have experienced fabulous specialties like Swiss fondue in Switzerland, mouth-watering veal schnitzel in Germany and even open-fire sardines in Spain. We take it all in and ask many questions. We are always curious of spices, sauces, breadings and cooking concepts. Most everyone is eager to share their expertise, and we bring back our learnings and share them with the Bell & Evans team to put this knowledge to good use at the further processing plant or with the new product development team.
When we are traveling and dining closer to home, we often ask our server what brand of chicken they use. If the server returns with the answer, “Our chef uses only Bell & Evans chicken,” we can barely hold back a high-five. If he/she comes back with a different answer, we know there is more work to be done.
Married for 29 years as of October 7, I have encouraged and supported my husband (and now children) from the sidelines. I am so proud of our family and the superb Bell & Evans team, past and present, who have steadily pushed us forward to produce the best chicken in the world!
I have included my chicken meatball recipe below which is my husband’s most-requested dish. If you aren’t a huge garlic fan, I encourage you to change up the recipe with basil or oregano, and I even suggest using other cheeses to your liking. Sometimes I even add a ½ cup of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed) for color. However you do it, make it your own. Enjoy!
Monica Sechler’s Chicken Meatball Recipe
Monica shares Scott’s most-requested dish, her own Chicken Meatball recipe. She uses both Bell & Evans Ground Chicken Breast and Leg meat for the ultimate flavor. Read her blog to get more tips and alterations of this recipe. Her advice? “However you do it, make it your own. Enjoy!”
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 lb. Bell & Evans Ground Chicken Breast Meat
- 1/2 lb. Bell & Evans Ground Chicken Leg Meat
- 1 c. breadcrumbs
- 1 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 egg
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 or 4 TB chopped parsley
Red Sauce
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 qt. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- Water to dilute
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
- Use a 2 inch cookie scoop to form meatballs.
- Place meatballs on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or tray.
- Bake meatballs at 350 for 40 minutes or you can simmer in spaghetti sauce as noted below for 20 minutes and turn after the first 10 minutes.
- Bring your red sauce to a simmer and place all 8 meatballs in sauce.
- The sauce will come half-way up the meatballs.
- Simmer for nine minutes and then carefully turn each meatball with a spoon and repeat on other side nine minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Remove meatballs and, presto, that’s it!
Omg Monica. You did it. Fabulously written—-it had all the passion for food that any great cook has. Super delivery. A home run, over the fence and out of the park!!!
This is awesome! I will be trying this recipe as I also share a passion for cooking. By the way, my daughter and I had dinner Saturday night at the World Famous Pike Cafe in Reading, PA. They heavily promote your brand on the menu. I had the Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breast entree with Brussel Sprouts and Asparagus….it was awesome.
Thanks for the recipe. I have been tweeking my Italian Grandmothers Meatball Recipe using Bell and Evans ground Breast meat only. I am excited to mix the ground breast and thigh meat to see the difference, I am sure it will make them even tastier. Ever since I started using Bell & Evans chicken, I cannot go back to grocery store chicken. The flavor and texture and juiciness makes it well worth the trip to Fredericksburg. I’ve also made the Italian meatballs and Buffalo chicken meatballs gluten free for my daughter with Celiac. BTW, B & E have the best gluten free chicken cutlets and strips that I have tasted.
In the store now buying my chicken to try these
What temperature should the meat balls be baked ? Are they baked ?
Hi Leah, Monica said that she baked at 350 for 40 minutes or you can simmer in spaghetti sauce for 20 minutes and turn after the first 10 minutes.