Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Basic Paleo Meatball Recipe

My family loves this versatile meatball.  It is egg and grain-free for my little guy and delicious for everyone.  I can make up a large batch of these and freeze in meal-sized portions.  They can be simmered in some homemade marinara, sauced up with a favorite barbeque sauce, or served in bone broth.


So here is the recipe in my personal favorite form - pictures!  First off, preheat that oven and get a baking sheet out.  This is what goes into my meatballs, aside from meat.  Yellow squash, cabbage, onion, and carrots.  Get those veggies prepped and ready for the food processor.

Combine the beef and sausage.


Season up that meat!  Dried Oregano and Basil, Garlic, Dried Onion, Pepper and Salt (Remember, good quality salt matters.  None of that cheap iodized stuff!  A good salt is not pure white.  Go with Redmond's Real Salt or grey Celtic salt.)  Proof that I shop at Costco below...


Grate up your vegetables and combine then with the meat, a little at a time.  Feel free to use your favorite veggies here.  I like the sweetness and texture you get from the veggies listed above.  

The yellow squash (or zucchini) yield a nice stickiness to hold all the other veggies together.  The Italian Sausage is optional if you don't care for pork.  I use it, together with the yellow squash, to hold the meatballs together.  You can always use egg instead of the sausage.  I don't because my favorite little guy happens to be allergic to eggs.  






This combination of veggies has yielded the best tasting meatballs (with the best texture) that I have found to date.  They are not overly dense, but they hold up to freezing, reheating, and even soups.  The trick is to add the veggies a little at a time.  As you are mixing, you should be able to feel that the mixture is holding together well but is not overly dense.  In my case I used about 80% of all those veggies shown up top.
Time to start patting out your mini-meatloaves or rolling up those meatballs!
Pop that pan into the oven for about 30 minutes, or until done.  I have 4 children who are always hanging around nearby when I'm cooking.  While I do keep an eye on the over, I must confess that I rarely remember to actually TIME anything.


When they are done, serve these up with your favorite sauce or eat as is.  Please let me know if you enjoy this recipe!


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