Experiment: Barbecue Bacon Turkey Balls

1.3 lbs ground turkey
1/3 lb bacon, browned and crumbled
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbl cilantro
black pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Combine all ingredients well. Form into balls and bake at 425 till browned and mostly cooked through. Heat the barbecue sauce in a pan big enough to hold all the meatballs (preferably the pan you cooked the bacon in, with the bacon fond still in it). Add the meatballs and toss to coat. Let cook till the meatballs are completely cooked and the sauce has caramelized.

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The name really says it all, Barbecue Bacon Turkey Balls. I had some ground turkey and bacon that wanted to be used and a bunch of seasonings. So I made these. They were wicked good. Looking back on them, I should have put some onion in. That would have made sense and added more deliciousness. But for some reason I didn't. Anyway, the cilantro is that frozen fresh stuff that I reviewed the other day. It worked quite well, I was very pleased. Sorry, no interesting back story to this one. It was something that I just kinda put together. So, here's what I did.

Basic meatball method here, take everything. Mix it together. Don't forget the bacon! Never forget the bacon. Form them into balls and cook them. I like to do it in the oven, it's quicker than frying them in a pan (at least in my tiny pans) and I run less of a risk of some sticking and making me angry. When they were almost done browning I tossed some barbecue sauce into the pan I cooked the bacon in, for extra bacon flavor, and turned the heat on medium low. Then out came the meatballs from the oven and into the barbecue sauce. Stir to coat, let cook till done, caramelized and delicious. You can turn the heat up to make it faster if you like, but I don't think I've ever had an overcooked meatball and if you let it take it's time the flavor is much better. Now you could just eat these as is, they are definitely good on their own. But I tossed mine in a roll with some cheese and it was unreal.Well, even though these are made with turkey they still aren't exactly healthy. Because of the bacon. But they are wicked good and the more mild taste of the turkey lets the seasonings (and bacon) really come through. I'll be making these again.