Florentine Meatball Sliders

Check out these little meatballs sizzling away.  Aren't they cute?  I'm the first to admit I probably think a little too much about food.  These beauties were thought up when I was trying to take a cat nap while the kids were also napping.

Enter in one toddler who doesn't want to sleep that day (stripping off the sheets, blanket, pillow, etc.) from his bed, a 7 month old who is sleeping well, but a little restless due to her brother being noisy across the hall, and me laying on the couch attempting to shut off my brain for 30 minutes.

Not happening.

All I want is 30 minutes of shut eye.  If kids only knew how they would relish a nap later in life.

So my mind turned to food.  I had ground turkey thawing in the fridge, crushed tomatoes in the cupboard and a huge spaghetti squash that needed to be eaten.  I first thought was spaghetti, then meatballs, then...meatball sliders.

This is the final vote.

I even whipped up my homemade foccacia rolls.  Not really sure where the energy came for those, but it happened.  These would be the perfect finger food for a party, a casual Sunday evening meal and a great one for the kids.

Who doesn't love a meatball sub?  In slider form?

Florentine Meatball Sliders
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 box thawed and drained spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. breadcrumbs or crushed plain cereal
1 egg
1 T. hot sauce
salt/pepper to taste

Gently combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Preheat a large skillet to medium heat.  Form meat into 1 in. balls and place in skillet.  Brown on all sides, turning several times, about 1 minute a side.

To finish cooking, place meatballs in simmering spaghetti or marinara sauce, homemade or store bought.  Let simmer on medium heat for at least 30-40 minutes, or until ready to eat.  Place on toasted slider buns and top with mozzarella cheese.

The only problem with this meal is that they only made it till lunch the next day for leftovers and then they were gone.

I hope you don't have the same problem.