Giant Italian Meatball Recipe (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Hungry taped a Food Paradise episode from The Food Network for me that was all about meatballs from restaurants around the country.

I had no idea there were so many restaurants featuring meatballs out there, but apparently meatballs have become big business in the past few years. Look at me being all trendy and stuff!

There were a few creative twists, but the most popular in almost every place seemed to be the classic Italian meatball.

One that stood out (so much so that I’ve been obsessed with it ever since), is the giant italian meatball that they serve at Lavo restaurant in Vegas.

You can see a clip of the segment by clicking here.

Their version also serves a dollop of ricotta cheese on top which sounds delicious, but since it adds a few grams of carbs, I opted not to use it in this low carb version – though you certainly could!

There is something awesome about making and eating a meatball the size of a softball! AMIRITE???

These are baked in the oven, and then simmered in sauce – so they take a little longer than my usual meatball recipes. I promise you though, they are worth the wait!!! Also there isn’t a lot of hand’s on time, so even though they take awhile to cook, you don’t really have to babysit them.

Once baked, you could even add them to a crockpot full of sauce and let them go for a few hours, rather than doing it on the stove.

I formed my mix into 4 giant meatballs that were about 1/2 lb each – but you could really make them smaller if you want to. I’m going to give you the nutrition info for either one of the 4 giant meatballs, or one of the smaller, but still huge 8 large meatballs.)

Giant Italian Meatball Recipe (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

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• Yield: (8 generous servings)

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Description

A low carb and gluten free recipe for giant Italian meatballs.

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Ingredients

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• For the meatballs:
• 1lb ground beef (80/20)
• 1lb ground pork (or you can use all beef)
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp parsley flakes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• To serve:
• 2 cups no sugar added marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup of water
• grated parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. For the meatballs:
2. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, but gently, until the mix is completely blended. Form into 4 softball sized meatballs (or 8 smaller meatballs). Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (25 minutes for the smaller ones).

To serve:

1. Pour the 2 cups of marinara sauce and the water into a medium saucepan or crockpot. Add the meatballs and stir gently to coat with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meatballs are tender. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

Approximate nutrition information:
per naked giant meatball: 616 calories, 44g fat, 3.8g net carbs, 50g protein
per naked large meatball: 308 calories, 22g fat, 1.9g net carbs, 25g protein

per 1/4 cup sauce: 25 calories, 1g fat, 3.5g net carbs, 1g protein

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 giant, or 8 large meatballs

I’ve been obsessed with the giant meatballs ever since I saw the show, and they did not disappoint! Hope you like them too! Have a great week, Peeps!

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