Meatballs & Sautéed Spinach
Meal: 242 cal Protein: 21g Carbs: 7g Fat: 14g
This dish is a lighter take on Spaghetti & Meatballs. An average plate of spaghetti and meatballs is approximately 680 calories and over 1000 calories in most Italian Restaurants
We have kept the essence of this dish with an amazing marinara sauce. Then we lightened the calories by smart swapping noodles with spinach, and half the ground beef in the meatballs with broccoli. And the final touch was to upgrade the cheese to a beautifully flavorful, freshly grated cheese. Don’t forget to save the rind from this cheese and store it in the freezer to add to any broth-based soup for added creaminess.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Ground Beef
- 2 C Riced Broccoli
- 2 Eggs
- ½ C Almond Flour
- ¼ C Roasted Tomato Marinara
- 2 Shallots minced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- 3 C Roasted Tomato Marinara
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ½ C Shallots or Onions, diced
- 4 C Spinach
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- 2 Oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese , grated
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Parchment line baking sheet. Set Aside.
- Combine ground meat, broccoli, eggs, flour, marinara, shallots, garlic, and spices.
- OPTIONAL: Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes prior to forming meatballs. Helps the meatballs stay together.
- Scoop meatballs utilizing a spoon and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- Reduce oven heat to 350F.
- Nestle meatballs in the marinara sauce.
- Cover and back for 1 hour…WHAT???
- In sauté pan over medium, add oil to pan.
- When hot, add onions, sauté until soft. Add garlic, salt and pepper and saute until fragrant.
- Add spinach and sauté until reduced.
- Set aside.
- To Assemble: Put spinach on plate and ladle sauce and meatballs over top
- Finish with cheese.
And if you’d like a more traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs, add 100 calories for each 2.5 oz serving of pasta with macros of Protein/3g, Carbs/18g, and Fat/1g.
