From the roundup: 12 Protein Packed Meal Prep Lunches for the Week
Mix ground turkey with egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parmesan, roll into golf-ball-sized balls, and bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Store the meatballs and marinara together in one container and keep the zucchini noodles separate until lunch. Zucchini releases water fast, so keeping them apart prevents a soupy container by day three. Four servings from one pound of turkey.
How the zucchini version stuck
I made these with regular pasta the first couple of times and they were fine, but I had a summer with a garden zucchini situation that got out of hand fast. The noodles made sense as a way to use them up and turned out to be a better match than I expected because the meatballs are dense enough that the lighter base actually works. I still make a pot of regular pasta for whoever is not interested in zucchini, which is usually three of the five.
Why you will love this
- One pound of ground turkey makes four solid servings, which keeps the cost per lunch low
- Baking the meatballs means no standing over a skillet and no oil splatter across the stovetop
- Storing the meatballs and sauce together and the zucchini noodles separately means no watery containers by day three
- The meatballs are firm enough to pick up with a fork, which makes them easy to eat at a desk or packed lunch
- Parmesan inside the mix gives the meatballs flavor that holds up even cold
Tips for success
Meal-prep tip: Do not overwork the meat mixture. Stir just until combined or the meatballs turn dense.
Keeping the zucchini noodles from getting watery
- Zucchini is almost entirely water and it releases most of that liquid within a few hours once it is cut. Keep the noodles in a separate dry container from the meatballs and sauce. At lunch, either eat the noodles cold and raw or microwave them for 60 seconds in the separate container, drain any liquid, then add the meatballs and sauce on top.
- Salting raw zucchini noodles and letting them sit in a colander for 15 minutes before storing pulls out a lot of the excess water. Pat them dry with a paper towel after draining. This one step makes a noticeable difference by day two.
- If you would rather skip the zucchini altogether, the meatballs and marinara pack well over cooked rice, orzo, or just on their own with a piece of bread.
Substitutions
Ground chicken works in place of turkey with the same ratios. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour to make these gluten-free. Pecorino romano can replace the parmesan. Store-bought marinara works fine. If you do not have zucchini noodles, serve over spaghetti squash, rice, or orzo.
Make-ahead and storage
Roll and refrigerate the uncooked meatballs on a parchment-lined sheet pan for up to 24 hours before baking. They go straight from the fridge into the oven, just add 2 minutes to the cook time. Store meatballs and marinara together in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Zucchini noodles keep separately for up to 2 days before they start to break down. Meatballs freeze well in sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Brittany’s note
Baked Turkey Meatballs with Marinara and Zucchini Noodles earns a spot in our weeknight rotation because it’s clear, honest on timing, and works for a house of seven — not a photo-only dinner. Cook’s tip I actually use: Do not overwork the meat mixture. Stir just until combined or the meatballs turn dense.
Casseroles & bake-and-done dinners
Real weeknight meals we rotate when school, sports, and picky eaters collide:
- More casseroles for busy nights — start here when you need tonight’s plan
Kitchen systems that help: How I meal plan for a family of seven · Feeding picky eaters without two dinners · Make-ahead system for sports nights · All Kitchen Guides
Baked Turkey Meatballs with Marinara and Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the spiralized zucchini in a colander set over the sink. Toss it with 1 teaspoon of salt and let it sit while you make the meatballs. This pulls out a lot of the excess water so your containers are not soupy later.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes if using, and parsley. Mix with a fork or your hands just until everything comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry patches. Do not keep mixing.
- Scoop the meat mixture and roll into balls about 1 1/2 inches across, roughly golf-ball size. You should get 16 to 18 meatballs from one pound of turkey. Place them on the parchment-lined pan with about an inch of space between each one.
- Bake on the center rack for 18 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink at the center. An instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F. The outside will have a slight golden color, not deeply browned.
- While the meatballs bake, warm the marinara in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the meatballs come out of the oven, add them directly to the sauce and stir gently to coat. Let them simmer together for 5 minutes.
- Pat the salted zucchini noodles dry with paper towels. For immediate serving, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the noodles for 2 minutes just until slightly softened. For meal prep, leave them raw and store separately. Portion meatballs and sauce over zucchini noodles to serve, or pack them in separate containers for lunch.
Notes
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