This post is sponsored by FoodSaver®; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

These easy Sous Vide turkey meatballs are what all of us who have less interest in spending hours in the kitchen during the holidays have been waiting for! Or those of us who love the flavors of Thanksgiving but prefer not to cook a whole bird. Or those of us who want cozy meals on demand! You get the point :) The Sous Vide process is fun and easy, but most of all it’s a hands-off approach to cooking that saves you time in the kitchen and delivers precise results.

What is Sous Vide?

There was a time when high-tech cooking methods felt intimidating to me, but I think using technology to save money, time and stress is a great thing and I’m willing to move with the times. The cooking method I’ve been experimenting with most lately is Sous Vide. Many, many episodes of watching television chefs use it to cook their proteins to precise temperatures peaked my curiosity and I finally made that purchase.

When you Sous Vide, you seal ingredients in a FoodSaver® Bag and cook it in a water bath with a Sous Vide cooker that maintains a constant temperature. It’s a very slow but hands-off approach and the best way to ensure that whichever proteins or vegetables you’re cooking are perfect. The options are endless!

What do I need to start?

You’ll need to use a good vacuum sealer and bags that are BPA-free and my best recommendation is the FoodSaver® Preservation System and FoodSaver® Bags.

FoodSaver Bags are completely air tight and “hug” the food, they have been specifically designed for the Sous Vide cooking method, don’t float on the water like other bags and go directly from your freezer to the water up to 195F (90c) so you can prep these ahead of time and just take it out when you want to cook. The flavor of the food is not affected at all, in fact the Sous Vide process locks in food’s natural flavors and prevents their loss in the pan or air.

You can purchase both the FoodSaver® Preservation System and FoodSaver® Bags at Target online or use this special coupon on iBotta.

Why vacuum seal?

My mother and I have the same interests when it comes to cooking: Preserve everything! Save money! Save time and have dinner ready and available when you want it. We used to joke with her when we were growing up, that she portioned and froze everything right after grocery shopping - We never even had a chance to see what there was :) But now I understand the value of preparing meals ahead of time. When I visit South Africa the things that bring her the most joy aren’t expensive gifts, I actually bring FoodSaver Bags and watch her grin from ear to ear. I’m serious. The fact is, when items at the grocery store goes on sale I find it best to be economical and purchase then prep them ahead, freeze and Sous Vide while I’m busy with work projects. FoodSaver® Vacuum Seal Bags have multi-layer construction that creates an air-tight barrier around foods proven to help prevent freezer burn. Vacuum sealing is also a great shortcut to marinate your food, and I’ve seen many chefs use this method when they want more flavor. Sous Vide is a cool new way to cook, it generates less heat in the kitchen and it’s passive cooking so I’m here for it!

Some Tips:

These meatballs are dinner-sized but can easily be made into 1 -ounce portions for appetizers. It’s a large batch so perfect for preparing holiday appetizers ahead of time. The FoodSaver Vacuum Seal Bags will lock in that flavor until you’re ready to party :)

I add cranberries, poultry seasoning and sage to give these turkey meatballs a great Thanksgiving flavor similar to Swedish meatballs, but with a twist. You can customize them to your liking though!

There are no breadcrumbs in order to keep it pretty low-carb, and the cooking method ensures that they are moist and juicy so there’s really no way to dry them out while cooking. FoodSaver Vacuum Seal Bags are air tight so none of those juices will leak out and you can make an amazing gravy with it.

I’d love to know if you’ve made this recipe. You can leave your feedback below or if you decide to share it on social media please tag me @thedaleyplate so that I can share with everyone else! Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes or my double parmesan cauliflower mash, steamed green beans and cranberry sauce on the side. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Sous Vide Turkey Meatballs with Gravy
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Makes: 28-30

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely minced
1/2 cup chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 pounds lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

For the gravy:
2 cups chicken, vegetable or beef broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
the juices from the Sous Vide Turkey
salt and pepper to taste

Special equipment:
FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System
2 FoodSaver® Sous Vide Vacuum Seal Bags (1 Gallon each)
Sous Vide machine

Method:

Add olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and shallots for 5-10 minutes until caramelized then add garlic. Cook for two minutes more, remove from heat and cool.

Place onions and all remaining ingredients in a bowl and gently combine until mixed through. Use a cookie scoop or your hands to portion 2 -ounce meatballs out on a lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet with meatballs in the freezer for 1-2 hours until they are able to hold their shape.

Prepare your FoodSaver® bags and FoodSaver® preservation system. Place meatballs about an inch apart in bags (12-15 per one gallon bag) and vacuum seal. Freeze until ready to Sous Vide.

Heat a water bath using your Sous Vide cooker and preheat to 150F. Place frozen meatballs in FoodSaver® Bags inside and cook for one hour.

Once done, carefully remove the bag and open so that the juices do not spill.

Make the gravy by adding the juices from the cooked turkey meatballs to a skillet with the stock, stir in a slurry of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir for 5-8 minutes until thickened then gently toss meatballs in gravy to coat. Season to taste with chopped herbs of your choice, black pepper and salt then serve immediately.

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