Noodles of any shape and form are my comfort food. While for others it may be a hamburger or some pizza, give me a bowl of noodles like Pad See ew, or a bowl of cheesy pasta any day.
I’ve been meaning to share my fabulous meatball recipe with you for a while and what better way to share than alongside a recipe for an easy, cheesy and low carb pasta!
The Health Secret Behind These Juicy Meatballs
I feel like meatballs typically get a bad rap and I’m not sure why. I suppose it could be because restaurants may use lots of fat to create them, deep fry them, etc. However, when you think about it, when you make them at home they can be one of the healthiest foods you make. At the end of the day, you’re just shaping meat into circles!
Now, these meatballs have a little secret. They have two “secret ingredients” that make them incredibly juicy as well as packed with fiber. What are they?
Spinach and wheat bran!
You heard that right. The spinach does an excellent job of binding the meat together, in tandem with the egg, and ensures your meatballs stay juicy and don’t dry out during the baking process.
The wheat bran is used in place of breadcrumbs (but feel free to use breadcrumbs if that’s your jam!). I use Bob’s Red Mill wheat bran, and according to the nutrition stats on the back of the package, 1/4 cup of wheat bran contains only 50 calories yet contains a whopping 6g of fiber, 4g of net carbs total, and 2g of protein.
Low Carb Pasta and Juicy Meatballs Recipe
I hope that by now, you’re raring to try out the recipe, and make these super meatballs! This recipe was initially created by my husband almost 7-years ago, and I’ve since taken it, and tweaked it to suit my dietary preferences.
Without further ado, here is the recipe for my juicy meatballs!
Preheat your oven to 420 degrees Farenheit.
Grab a food process and measure out 3.3 ounces of spinach into it (or do it in two rounds if the spinach will not fit). Gently whizz it up until it's finely shredded (be careful not to blend it).
Now, add in your shredded spinach and all of your spices and 1/4 of wheatbran into a big bowl (save the remaining 1/4 cup of wheatbran for later on in the process).
Then, add in your wet ingredients - your ground beef, parmesan cheese and egg and mix everything together well (I recommend you squish the mixture with your hands) until all of the spinach is well absorbed with the meat and the rest of the ingredients.
Now, please grab two small and shallow bowls, and your food scale. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of wheat bran in one bowl and set aside. With the other bowl, place it on the food scale and tare the scale so it resets to 0.
It's time to form the mixture into meatballs! Grab what you think looks to be 1.5 ounces of meat and place it in the bowl on the food scale. Make sure the meat weighs 1.5 ounces and then shape it into a small, round ball.
Lightly dip the meatball into the wheatbran in your other bowl until the wheatbran is evenly distributed across the surface of the meatball. Set your meatball in a pre-greased muffin tin.
Rinse and repeat until you've formed the whole mixture into meatballs.
Bake the meatballs for 15-18 minutes.
Take out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then serve with a big bowl of my cheesy low-carb pasta or with whatever else you'd like!
Ingredients
My favorite dish to pair my meatballs with are a bowl of Al Dente Carba Nada pasta with Muir Glen marinara sauce and lotttts of cheese š
4 Other Ways to Enjoy These Delicious Meatballs
- Make a delicious bowl of roasted tomato soup and either add your meatballs into the soup, or serve on the side, alongside some garlic bread.
- Consider a simple bowl of these meatballs simmered in marinara sauce as a hearty treat!
- Make a low-carb pizza using Cali’flour flatbread (the jalapeno one is my personal fave).
- Love sandwiches? Make a meatball sub!
Honestly yours,
Alice
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