Ricotta Meatballs:

1 lb. ground turkey 

1/2 cup full-fat ricotta cheese 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1/2 cup panko 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

Crispy Topping:

1 jar tomato, marinara, or pasta sauce 

1/4 cup panko 

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

chopped parsley 

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Meatballs: Roll mixture into 20-24 small meatballs. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a shallow Dutch oven or oven-safe pan to prevent sticking. Put the meatballs in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a middle oven rack. Gently loosen them from the bottom of the pan with a spatula; they should have some nice browning. Sauce: Add the tomato sauce directly to the pan with the meatballs and stir to get them all coated. Crispy Topping: Mix the 1/4 cup panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the meatballs and sauce. Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to warm the sauce. Turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to get the crispies nice and golden.  

NUTRITION INFO: Serves 5; Calories Per Serving: 388; Total Fat 18.7g; Total Carbohydrate 25g; Sugars 8.8g 

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Pinch of Yum) 

NARRATORS: Jenna Lamia and January LaVoy 

RATING: Ebook - ★★★    Audiobook - ★★★★

REVIEW: This was my first time reading Kathryn Stockett’s work, and I really enjoyed it. Having lived in Mississippi my whole life, it was fun being able to follow along with the towns that were mentioned because I’ve been to all of them, and I know several people who lived in Oxford and graduated from Ole Miss. The story itself wasn’t what I expected it would be. (I should also mention that I didn’t read a summary or blurb before I read the book either). So, when it came down to the nitty-gritty of the story, I was kind of caught off guard. (Wish I could elaborate but that would give the whole plot away). But Stockett did the story justice, and I loved getting to know all of the characters. There are several degrees to this story - sad, hopeful, and shocking, just to name a few. If trigger warnings were listed, I’m afraid there would be many, due to the era it takes place in. My only complaint is there was no epilogue. After reading the 600+ pages and getting fully invested in everyone’s lives, I hated not knowing how some of the character’s future’s played out. The audiobook version is absolutely incredible, and the narrators are AMAZING! I would highly recommend the audiobook version over the ebook. 

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).