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I absolutely loved making these spiced lamb meatballs with cheddar grits. The lamb meatballs and grits get extra oomph from roasted poblano and smoked paprika.

Those cheddar grits are dreamy, dreamy, dreamy!

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite secret weapons in cooking. It just adds a really great sweet – yet smoky – flavor to dishes and I particularly loved using it in my spiced lamb meatballs.

This recipe becomes a little complex, but here’s the gist of it:

Prepare your meatballs. I like to fry lamb meatballs first, then transfer to the oven, since it will allow some of the excess fat to cook off. You’ll also throw your poblano peppers on the baking tray with the meatballs.
Prepare the grits. They will take about 30 minutes, so you want to start them as soon as your meatballs go into the fridge.
Once your grits are moving and grooving, start your sauce. It won’t take long to make, so long as you’ve prepped your ingredients beforehand. I used mushrooms and spinach in my sauce just to add a bit more vegetables, but you can omit or swap whatever vegetables you prefer. I think kale or cauliflower would be good in this as well! Just adjust the cook time as necessary.
From there, it’s time to let things wrap up. Finish up your grits, add the finishing touches to the sauce, and then plate it up and serve!

If you made these lamb meatballs with cheddar grits, please rate it and comment below! You can also follow me and share your creations by tagging me! I’d love to feature your #triedandtruerecipes creation on my feed!

Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Cheddar Grits

These spiced lamb meatballs with cheddar grits get extra oomph from roasted poblano and smoked paprika for a dinner that is loaded with flavor!

4 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Calories: 842kcal

Equipment

Large pot
Medium pot
Baking sheet lined with foil

Ingredients

Spiced Lamb Meatballs

1 pound ground lamb
1 shallot peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup breadcrumbs plus more, if needed
2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil for frying

Sauce

1 yellow onion peeled and diced
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 cups chicken stock
14.5 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
5 ounces baby spinach

Cheddar Grits

3 poblano peppers
2 teaspoons oil
3 cups whole milk plus more, if needed
1 cup grits
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Combine all the ingredients for the spiced lamb meatballs in a bowl and mix with your hands until well-combined.
Form the into 2'' meatballs and set aside on a plate.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, in an even layer, cooking in batches if needed for 2-3 minutes per side until well-browned all over. Turn the heat off.
Transfer the meatballs to the foil-lined baking sheet, leaving some space open.
In the open space of the baking sheet, add the poblano peppers and drizzle with the 2 teaspoons oil.
Transfer the pan to the oven for 20 minutes as you prepare the rest of the sauce and the grits.

Start the Grits

Add the milk to the medium pot and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the milk begins to bubble, gradually poor in the grits, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes until nearly completely softened. Keep an eye on the grits and add more milk as necessary and stir frequently.

Prepare the Sauce:

Return the large pot to medium heat. If there isn't enough oil, add a tiny bit more oil to the pot.
Once hot, add the diced onion and cook for 7-8 minutes until beginning to soften.
Melt the butter into the onions and once melted and frothy, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne powder.
Pour the chicken stock into the pot and scrape up any fond stuck to the bottom. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

Finish the Sauce and Meatballs:

Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Finish the Cheddar Grits:

Carefully trim, peel, and deseed the poblano peppers. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Once the grits are tender, add the butter, shredded cheddar, and minced poblano.
Season the grits with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Finish the Sauce:

Right before serving, stir the spinach into the meatballs and sauce until wilted. Turn off the heat.

To Serve:

Divide the grits between shallow bowls and pile the meatballs and sauce on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Cheddar Grits