Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 1¾ cups grated zucchini (roughly 1 7- to 8-inch zucchini grated on the large holes of a box grater)
  • 2 garlic cloves (grated or finely minced)
  • 1 chipotle pepper canned in adobo
  • 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the chipotle can
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons white chia seeds
  • 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper (thinly sliced)
  • 1 green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
  • 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 15- ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 28- ounce can diced fire toasted tomatoes (drained)
  • 1¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • Freshly chopped cilantro for serving (optional)

Instruction

  • Place all the ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands (or a fork) until everything well combined. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the chia seeds to work their gelling magic. (Use this time to prep your vegetables.)
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place it on the prepared baking sheet. (If you don’t have a wire rack, don’t panic. You can bake your meatballs directly on the foil-lined baking sheet. They may ooze a little bit of liquid as they cook, but it’s not a big deal.)
  • With damp hands, form the meatball mixture into balls roughly 2-inches in diameter. You should have about 18 meatballs, dudes.
  • Bake for 22 minutes until cooked through.
  • While the meatballs are in the oven, get going on the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large (12- to 14-inch) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the bell peppers and onion and cook for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are softened (but not mushy!) and lightly browned in spots.
  • Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne (if using), and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Stir in the beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Taste and season with a little extra salt and cayenne if necessary.
  • Turn off the heat and nestle the meatballs in the vegetable mixture.
  • Top with the cheddar cheese in an even layer. Pre-heat the broiler on high.
  • Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes.
  • Shower the skillet with freshly chopped cilantro if you’re feeling fancy and serve piping hot with your finest hot sauce.