Paleo Italian Meatballs

Making the change to Paleo eating takes some effort.  It takes a commitment.  And it's easy to fall back into old, unhealthy habits if you don't set yourself up for success...and that means WEEKLY MEAL PREP!

I don't know anyone who hasn't gotten busy or worked late or had a game go into overtime or gotten stuck in traffic and wanted to use that as an excuse to "just grab something from a drive thru" because they didn't have anything at home ready to go.  To sabotage their new lifestyle from lack of planning (of course in the moment, they will call that "convenience".)

One of my family's must-have items is frozen meatballs.  Beef.  Pork.  Turkey.  Chicken.  Or any combination of the above.  I usually have an idea of what sides I have prepped or what kind of meals I want to make in any given week, and that is how I decide how I will season my meatballs.  But when I have no idea or I know we are going to be really busy...I go with classic Italian-style meatballs.

The weather is actually thinking about cooling off here in Texas, so I am trying to use up or freeze all of the herbs in my garden.  I hate to waste food and I love the flavor that fresh herbs bring to a dish.

Making meatballs Paleo is really quite easy.  I sub in almond flour for breadcrumbs and add an extra egg in place of any dairy the recipe calls for.

Today I hit WinCo Foods because the one near my home has some killer prices on organic produce.  They also had, by far, the best prices on red seedless grapes (98 cents/lb!!!) and my daughter is currently hooked on grapes with almond butter as an after school snack (think peanut butter and jelly, only healthier and easier on the belly).

They had some good looking ground pork and were just stocking their ground beef from the meat case - so I figured that was a sign to make up a batch of meatballs for this week.

I like this recipe because it all happens in one bowl and either a food processor or a cutting board.  I like the food processor method because of the moisture it brings out in the fresh herbs and spinach.  But if you keep your food processor in the back of a cupboard or on a high shelf - you can just finely chop the herbs and spinach and add them in.

Here's my take on Paleo Italian Meatballs.

1 pound ground beef (not too lean 80/20 is my fave)
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
Handful of fresh basil
Handful of fresh spinach
Handful or less of fresh parsley (my parsley doesn't grow as abundantly as my basil, so I used less)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of almond flour
2 T of finely minced garlic
1/3 cup of homemade "clean" marinara sauce (mine is just tomatoes, basil, onions, garlic and some avocado oil)
1 t of crushed red pepper flake
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put the herbs and spinach in the food processor and pulse until it's finely chopped.  Put everything else in a large mixing bowl and and add the herb mixture.  Combine thoroughly.  I start with a wooden spoon and finish up with my hands - because it's really the only way to mix meatballs!

Cover a sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat liner and preheat the oven to 350°.  I make my meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball.   This recipe makes 3 dozen-ish...today it made 38.

Bake for 25 minutes.  The meatballs will release a lot of liquid during baking and won't brown as much as pan frying, but they will hold their shape better.  Remove the meatballs from the pan to cool on a plate or cookie drying rack placed over the sheet pan to catch any drippings.

Once they are completely cooled, place the meatballs in a freezer bag in a single layer and place in the freezer.  Once they've frozen, you can stand the bag upright or not worry about them being in a single layer.  They will be easy to pull out individually for snack and meals.

Ideas for these meatballs:  Serve wrapped in a sturdy lettuce leaf with heated marinara and sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms for a Paleo take on a meatball sub (great with oven-baked sweet potato fries).  Serve with spaghetti squash  and marinara for Paleo's "spaghetti and meatball dinner".  Slice and serve with grainy mustard or Paleo mayo for a healthy, hearty lunchbox treat.  Pan fry in ghee with onions and garlic as a main course with your favorite vegetable side dish.

This makes enough for 2 meals for my family of four if I pull them out to use as a meal, but more often than not - these are pulled out by my son after a late football practice or my husband on days he works late.  I eat them on those rare nights I'm home alone, but want a hot meal without a dirty pot or pan!

I hope you enjoy!