Even while we want to eat healthier, we don’t want to sacrifice flavor. Eric “Rick” Kvick of East Honolulu has jumped that hurdle with a tasty meatball that combines ground turkey with rich Italian sausage.

His lighter “Italian Pilgrim Meatballs” are then taken up a notch with fresh onions, Italian herbs and a Creole seasoning mix that adds the kick and flavors of the bayou.

Kvick makes his own Creole seasoning, but you can buy it at the supermarket. Popular brands include Emeril’s Essence and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.

The one-inch meatballs take only about 15 minutes to bake. You can make them larger and increase the cooking time.

These freeze well after cooking and are versatile. Eat them plain with a mac and cheese casserole, or serve over pasta with a store-bought sauce and a green salad. Create a grinder sandwich by adding grilled onions and sweet peppers to the meatballs.

Make a double batch and freeze some after cooking for multiple Easy-Kine meals.

ITALIAN PILGRIM MEATBALLS

• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, about 4 links
• 3/4 pound ground turkey (substitute ground chicken)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup panko

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove sausage from casing if necessary. Place in a large mixing bowl with turkey onion, egg, milk, Creole seasoning and Italian seasoning. Mix until blended.

Add panko gradually — use less if you prefer a looser meatball and more panko if you like a firm meatball.

Shape into 1-inch balls (or use an ice cream or cookie scoop) and place on a foil-lined baking pan. Bake uncovered until thermometer reads 160 degrees or more, about 15 minutes.

Serve hot in a meatball sandwich, as a topping for pasta and sauce, in a green salad or by itself. Makes about 24 1-inch meatballs. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 330 calories, 24 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 1,100 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 1 g sugar, 19 g protein.

”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via Instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.