It’s been a few weeks since I posted a new low carb Meatball Monday recipe, and we’re long overdue! I had a fantastic grilled and skewered meatball lined up for today, but it’s been raining nonstop for days here and I’m not in a grilling mood.
There’s nothing like cool, rainy, weather to put you in the mood for comfort food – and this lasagna inspired meatball recipe definitely fits the bill!
Growing up, my mom made lasagna pretty often – it was fairly economical and could feed a crowd easily. Every family has their own lasagna recipe, and my mom’s was never without some Italian sausage mixed into the meat sauce.
To get that authentic (to me) flavor in these meatballs, I did a half and half mix of Italian sausage and ground chuck for the meat mix.
Since my childhood lasagna memories wouldn’t be complete without lots of ricotta cheese, I also added generous dollops to the casserole before baking it.
MY LATEST VIDEOSThere is obviously no pasta in this casserole, but it would be perfect served over either spaghetti squash or some spiralized zucchini “zoodles” to make a complete meal.
Easy to throw together and super satisfying to eat, this lasagna inspired meatball recipe is sure to become a new family favorite!
Low Carb Lasagna Meatballs Recipe
An easy lasagna inspired meatball recipe that is low carb, lchf, keto and Atkins diet friendly!
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
- 1 lb ground chuck (or turkey if you prefer)
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the casserole:
- 2 cups keto marinara
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into approximately thirty two 1.5″ meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees (F) for 15 minutes.
For the casserole:
- Place the meatballs in a casserole dish (13×9 should do) in a single layer. Pour half of the keto marinara sauce over the meatballs. Drop the ricotta cheese by generous teaspoonfuls evenly over the casserole. Pour the second half of the marinara sauce over the top. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the entire thing. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees (F). Remove from the oven and let it cool for about five minutes before serving.
Notes
Approx. nutrition info per serving: 494 calories, 39g fat, 4g net carbs, 31g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs with sauce and cheese
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I love this dish! It’s my go-to nearly everytime I need to make a keto or low carb dinner for the family. It’s simple and can even change the sauces or spices to make it different.
★★★★★
Wonderful recipe, not that hard to make too! I like simple meatballs, would eat so many plates
These were easy to make and a hit with my family! I added some spaghetti squash to it and it was amazing!
★★★★★
Soooo good! Just made this for the first time and my husband & I loved it. He told me to add it to the weekly rotation.
★★★★★
Delicious even my muggle kids (AKA non-veto) love these!
I loved these. !!! I did not use almond flour but crushed up pork rinds. That is what I had. Family just liked them. Thanks for the great recipe
★★★★★
Is there another low carb alternative to almond flour? I plan to make these for a crowd and I want to be sensitive to those with nut allergies.
You could try crushed pork rinds Heidi, I haven’t done it but some have reported that they used it with good success in the meatball recipes!
OMG! This recipe is “bomb.com!” Super flavorful and full of cheesy goodness! I have to admit, I dream about these meatballs and have been eating them for breakfast! They are super filling and I find not wanting to eat until dinner time!
★★★★★
This dish was outstanding. I’m Italian and it passed the test with flying colors. I follow paleo (I can tolerate cheese thank goodness) I used a “good” Paleo approved bottled pasta sauce from Trader Joes. Made a few adjustments like adding Parmesan cheese and 1 egg to the ricotta cheese. I will definitely be making this again. It’s also a good “companies coming” recipe. Perfect for leftover. Thank you.
This looks so good!!! I love anything Italian! I am a little obsessed with your site, by the way!!! I shared this in a Recipe Roundup on my blog, Plus Size to Downsized!!! Thanks so much for the great ideas!
Just made this! Delicious! Thanks for the idea!
That was the best dish EVER! No changes at all. WOW.
Thanks so much Christa, glad you enjoyed it!!!
These look amazing! If I wanted to freeze them, would it be best to freeze some meatballs before cooking, after cooking but before saucing, or after saucing and cooking? I’m thinking it’d be best to freeze them cooked but unsauced, but wanted the meatball expert’s opinion – thanks!
I’d freeze them in the sauce and then thaw and pour it into a casserole dish and top with cheese before baking. Freezing them in the sauce will help keep them from getting freezer burned, but you could also freeze them unsauced if you prefer it! Hope you like them!
Sounds great – thanks for the quick reply! I know what I’ll be making this weekend!
Cabbage makes a great substitute for lasagna noodles! :) I can imagine throwing a few of those in this yummy looking dish.
This is definitely what I will be making my co-worker for her birthday on the 29th of August. We both follow the low carb lifestyle and we always make a special treat for each other for our birthdays. She adores anything Italian and I think she will love these. Plan on making some zucchini spaghetti to serve these on. She’s going to be one happy little co-worker!
Sounds fantastic, you’re a good friend! Let me know how she liked them! :)
just made these on sunday and it was delicious! i’ll need to mess around with the seasonings as i prefer a more savory sauce. but, the sauce recipe as is was still quite tasty. leftover meatball lasanga for lunch today. and, since it’s the day after, the mozzarella will have that awesome chewiness!
thanks!
These are a huge hit in our house. They are great for lunches as well. Fabulous recipe – thanks! Liz
This makes life so much more exciting. I have just gotten into cooking after years of what I like to call “Survival Chefin'” because I could only make the basics. Now that I am bodybuilding and using KETO lifestyle to keep in shape, easy recipes like this make me want to expand my cooking skills. SO, I WILL be trying this.
*Fingers crossed* hope it all goes well. ;)
Looks YUMMY! How about adding Shirataki noodles?!
Could you substitute coconut flour for the almond flour? My hubby is allergic to nuts.
I think you could but you might want to add a little less because coconut flour absorbs more liquid. Maybe add. Little beef broth if it seems dry.
Luscious! I’ve been spirlalizing zucchini quite often, and enjoying it raw as a salad, with a little lemon juice and olive oil – but I bet a bed of zucchini noodles underneath these amazing meatbals would be Nirvana!
(btw, I am curious to find out how the egg diet turned out once you resumed normal low carbing..)
I kept most of it off until I had a big cheat weekend – now I’m back to egg fasting this week to undo the damage lol!
Sometimes it’s good for the mind to have a big cheat weekend, and then go back to working towards a goal… keep us busy, healthy, and happy! …. ;-)
Your photos make my mouth water. I’ll be making these in a couple weeks once I’m back to a normal kitchen. I often crave Italian food. With all this packing, I’ve pretty much been eating 2 egg fast meals and a pizza burger for dinner every day for about 5 days now and I’m not tired of it yet. I purchased pre-cooked frozen burgers, no filler, and add low carb sauce, pepperoni and whole milk mozzarella + seasonings. I have to keep it simple and this is working well for me. In fact, I’m about to go have some Snickerdoodles right now oozing w/ buttah! YUM! At least I know what I’m eating every day and not having to think about it. My mood is not the greatest doing this job.
This is one of the best Italian, low carb recipes i have ever had. I am fussy. I had a bed and breakfast in Maine that people came to because of the reviews about my breakfasts. Love, love ,love this incredible dish.