SPAR Inpiration

Meals For Less

Pilchard Meatballs

This budget beating recipe elevates the humble pilchard into a tasty and satisfying family meal. Did you know that pilchards are packed with protein and are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids which helps to reduce cholesterol levels?

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 16 pilchard meat balls Serves: 4

Ingredients

425g can SPAR Pilchards, drained
1 cup breadcrumbs made from Freshline Low GI Wholegrain Bread
1 SPAR egg, beaten
1 SPAR Freshline onion, finely chopped
2 SPAR Freshline garlic cloves, crushed
1 SPAR Freshline green chili, finely chopped
60g SPAR Tomato Paste
425g can SPAR Tomato and Onion mix
15ml dried or fresh thyme

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Mince the pilchards finely with a fork in a large bowl.
Add in all of the other ingredients and combine well.
Roll the mixture into equal size balls (no bigger than a golf ball size). Place these on a greased baking sheet or casserole dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.

To make the sauce:

While the meatballs are cooking, heat up the drained tomato sauce from the can of pilchards and then add the tomato paste and cook through for a minute.
Lastly add in the tomato and onion mix and thyme and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the pilchard meatballs to this sauce and serve on a plate of phutu or rice or mashed potato if preferred.