Delicious GF Meatballs Al Forno
Delicious GF Meatballs Al Forno
What I love about Meatballs Al Forno
Don’t these baked meatballs look so, insanely delicious! What is Meatballs “Al Forno” you say? In Italian, “Al Forno” basically means “into the oven”. So, the bulk of the cooking for these meatballs is done in the oven. First, we brown them on the stovetop, then cover them in marinara sauce and cheese (obviously) and then into the oven they go. They are braised at a low heat for about 30 minutes until they're cooked to perfection. It’s such an easy and tasty recipe for any day of the week.
The meatballs are made with 100% organic, lean ground beef as well as a few other things to give them all of that wonderful flavour. You can serve them alongside your favourite pairing whether it’s pasta, salad, veggies or all three. When we are trying to keep carbs down, we love to serve them over roasted broccoli and then top with extra parmigiana. It’s so good and hearty that we don’t even miss the pasta. If you’re craving pasta though, these “Al Forno” Meatballs will surely make the best pairing!
What you will need to make GF Meatballs Al Forno
Here’s a list of ingredients that you will need:
Ground beef - I always recommend using organic meats if you can. I know it’s not always available, but if you can find it, that’s a bonus! Not only does it have better flavour, but it also means that the cows were fed organic grains and not GMO grains which can cause all kinds of disease and even cancer. We are what we eat, right? Ok, rant over.
Butter - Because we’re using lean meat, we need to add a little fat in there to make sure the meat doesn’t dry out or become stiff. Adding a little butter keeps the meatballs ultra moist and delicious. Tip: use unsalted butter and then add salt to the meat mixture so that you can control the amount of salt. Salted butter works as well. Just adjust the amount of extra salt that you add.
Egg - You only need 1 medium-sized egg for this recipe.
Almond flour - I wanted to keep these meatballs both gluten-free and grain-free, so I opted to add some almond flour to help bind the meat together.
Garlic - You know I love garlic, so I was sure to include some in the meatballs. You can add anywhere form 2-4 cloves depending on how much you like. 3 is perfect.
Onion - You can use white or yellow onion here. Be sure to chop it really fine, almost mincing it so that it just blends and sort of melts into the meat mixture.
Parsley - I love adding fresh herbs whenever I can do recipes. Not only do they add delicious flavour, but parsley specifically has many health benefits. Sprinkling some on top after cooking adds a nice touch of colour as well.
Cheese - We are using the two most popular cheeses in Italian cooking: parmigiana and mozzarella. Half of the parmigiana cheese will go into the meatballs while the other half is reserved for topping the meatballs before they go into the oven. Lots of mozzarella on top too, of course!
Spices - The spices used in this recipe are simple: salt, pepper and oregano. You could use a little Italian seasoning if you don’t have oregano.
Marinara - Marinara is what the meatballs will cook in when they go into the oven. If you decide to make homemade marinara, that would be the best! Store-bought is good too, but try to find one that has only simple ingredients like tomatoes, salt and spices and has no added preservatives etc.
Tip: the meatballs can also be prepped ahead of time to make cooking later faster and easier! They can be kept cooked or uncooked overnight in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Delicious GF Meatballs Al Forno
Delicious GF Meatballs Al Forno
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic grass-fed ground beef
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped + more for serving
- 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 750ml jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the ground beef, butter, egg, almond flour, garlic, onion, parsley, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, salt, oregano and pepper and mix thoroughly with your hands until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, make 28 meatballs and set them aside on a plate.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and brown the meatballs over medium heat in 3 batches, being careful not to overcrowd them. (They do not need to be fully cooked through.) Remove them to a paper towel-lined plate as you go.
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Once all of the meatballs have been browned, drain the pan of any excess grease and wipe it clean with a paper towel.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and cover them with marinara sauce.
- Top with the remaining 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese and mozzarella and braise in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven to the high broil setting and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and brown.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and enjoy!
