Healthy Spaghetti and Meatballs
Have I mentioned that I love Italian Food? Have I ever mentioned my passion for garlic? It goes into just about everything that I make. Everything is always better with a little garlic. Tonight for dinner I made some really easy and delicious meatballs full of garlic.
Meatballs
These meat balls were made with a combination of extra lean ground beef and lean pork sausage and baked in homemade spaghetti sauce. I had never really thought to bake my meatballs before. I have always cooked them over the stove which leads to a greasy stove top, a smoky house, and severely misshapen meatballs. I got the idea from Kalyn’s Kitchen, but came up with the recipe by simply combining my favorite Italian ingredients. When you read the directions you might think that I was a little lazy in my writing this week. But to be honest this recipe is really easy and I can be more descriptive then dump it in and stir!
I started by using lean ground beef and lean pork sausage. You could also use lean Italian sausage or turkey meat, but I do that a lot. I felt like the pork would be a good change. I then added whole wheat bread crumbs. I know these can be hard to find, but when you are South Beaching –it you cut back where you can. I find that the whole wheat crumbs are more fragrant, have a great texture, and add extra flavor. I also added garlic, Italian spices, and nutmeg for a little extra flavor.
Meatballs in Spaghetti Sauce
The sauce whipped up extra quick. In a bowl I just combined a can of crushed tomatoes and two cans of petite diced tomatoes. If you don’t like your spaghetti sauce chunky you can use all crushed tomatoes. You could also puree it all until smooth. I also added a little onion, spices, and garlic. Mix it up, pour over your meatballs, and bake. It’s really easy. While these baked I cleaned the kitchen, made Strawberries and Cream for dessert, and did a little housekeeping.
Meatballs Fresh From the Oven.
Healthy Meatball Recipe
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 Pound lean ground beef
12 oz package of lean pork sausage
¼ Cup whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ Cup parmesan
2 Eggs lightly beaten
2 Cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon of fennel seed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
1 Can crushed tomatoes
2 Cans petite diced tomatoes
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of Splenda or to your preference
½ Cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon of basil
½ teaspoon of fennel seed
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl combine all meatball ingredients and mix until very well combined.
2. Roll meat into balls of about 1-2 Tablespoons. Place meatballs in greased pan.
3. For sauce, combine all spaghetti sauce ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Pour over meatballs in pan. Spread sauce to ensure meatballs are evenly coated. Place in oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes until sauce is bubbly and meatballs are firm and cooked through.
4. Serve sauce and meatballs over a bed of spaghetti or sautéed spinach.
Dig In!
Makes 24 meatballs.
Update: I ate these the next day for lunch and they were even better. You might try prepping them the night before.
Delicious Spaghetti and Meatballs
