Mango Meatballs

This recipe is a summertime twist on a classic. I mix tomatoes fresh from the garden, tropical mangos, and crisply clean herbs with lean ground meat…just a few seasonings later and you have a delicious and light meatball! Right before I stick them in the oven, I like to roll each meatball in sugar. When it cooks, the sugar caramelizes, creating a slightly sweet crunch around the meat that really compliments the brightness of the mango inside. Everything is kept moist by the juicy tomatoes and mango, so overcooking is hard to do with this recipe. My parents loved this dish, and kept going back for more.

I like to toss the meatballs in my tomato-mango jam (consider it like a summery pasta sauce) and serve with toasted basmati rice…but feel free to put these into sandwiches or over pasta!

1.15 lb ground beef (lean)

5 oz mango (finely chopped)

½ medium sized tomato (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic

⅛ – ¼ cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

¾ cup panko

¼ cup sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, add the beef, mango, garlic, cayenne, tomato, parsley, and panko with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix everything together (be careful not to over mix the meat or it will become tough and dense).

Put the sugar onto a plate.

Take golf ball sized portions off and roll into balls. Roll each ball lightly in the sugar. Put onto a nonstick baking sheet. I usually get 10-11 meatballs from this recipe.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.

Serve and enjoy!