I feel like I have been completely lacking in the recipe department lately and I’m sorry! I cook all the time, but a lot of times I just want to eat what I make without photographing it (probably because I am starving and impatient and need to eat ASAP), therefore it never becomes a blog post. Last night we had the best dinner though and I think it needs to be recreated this weekend so I can photograph it. If you follow me on instagram you probably saw the plethora of veggies I roasted and those became a “detox chicken bowl with tahini dressing”. So much yum and can’t wait to share. Also great for fall.
So, the instant pot
The meatballs are gluten free, come together really quickly, and are SO flavorful. They’re also perfect for lunches and snacking the next day (my favorite). I used my homemade marinara as our sauce, but feel free to use your favorite jar. We also served ours over spaghetti squash but they would be perfect over zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles, or your favorite GF pasta.
I know not everyone owns an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, so these guys can also be made in a stovetop pressure cooker, in the crock pot, or simply on the stove. If you choose the crock pot or stove option, it’s important to quickly saute the meatballs on the stove before cooking so they don’t fall apart. Enjoy!
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
- 1/2 a white onion - either finely diced by hand or finely diced using a mini food processor
- 1/2 cup gluten free oats
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg- whisked
- 1/4 cup milk (I used whole)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara, or 1 serving of my Easy Homemade Marinara on the blog
- Add all ingredients (minus the marinara) to a large bowl
- Using your hands, mix the meatball ingredients together (messy, but effective!)
- Using a small cookie scoop (mine is about 1 inch wide), scoop the meat onto a cookie sheet, large plate or cutting board
- Using your hands, roll the meatballs into "tighter" meatballs so they hold their shape in the Instant Pot and set aside
- Add your marinara to the Instant Pot, then starting on the outside rim of the pot, drop the meatballs one by one into the sauce
- Put the lid on the pressure cooker and use Manual Mode on High Pressure and set it for 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes, allow it to release on its own (this normally takes about 5 minutes)
- Serve over zoodles, spaghetti squash or your favorite spaghetti noodles!
- If you don't own an Instant Pot - no worries! Just cook the meatballs on the stove, covered, in the marinara sauce, for about 30 minutes.
- To make these paleo, omit the gluten free oats, and use almond meal.
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