Italian Inspired Soup

I found this lovely recipe on Pinterest a good while ago and decided to finally try it. I had all the ingredients and it came together so quickly. I didn't have Italian sausage so I seasoned my turkey like I was making meatballs with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. It came out great and made wonderful lunch leftovers!

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, & basil seasoned
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, garlic, oregano & basil seasoned
1 pound ground sausage or turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery stalk
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup ditalini pasta

Instructions:

In a large pot, season and brown the ground turkey. Remove from pot. Add onion, carrot and olive oil and saute for 5 minutes until soft. Add celery and garlic, saute about a minute more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, the drained beans, and the sausage and cover the pot. Cook for about 30 to 45 minutes over low heat, at a gentle simmer.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

1-1/2 Ground Chicken
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Oregano
1 Egg
1 tbsp Milk
3-4 tsp minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Onion powder

Season meat. Mix all ingredients and let stand in the fridge for 30-60 minutes if possible. Form into large meatballs so you have enough surface area for sauce and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and spoon red sauce of your choice over each one with a sprinkle of shredded italian or mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serve with penne or angel hair pasta tossed in your favorite red sauce. I like to use four cheese marinara.