These meatballs are so quick and easy to make and they are a lighter version than most other meatballs. Most other meatballs use higher fat beef or sausage. And by baking them instead of frying them, the fat is reduced as well. I like the addition of the whole wheat bread crumbs instead of just white bread to add just a little bit more nutrition and fiber. These meatballs are one of my husband’s favorites. It makes him very happy whenever he comes home from work to find that I have made meatball sandwiches for us for supper!
Super Easy Meatballs
1 lb. extra lean, grass-fed ground beef
1 c. fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (grind up 2 slices of bread in a food processor until fine)
2 tsp. italian seasoning mix
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. ketchup
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
Preheat the oven at 400°F and lightly grease a baking sheet with some cooking spray.
Put the beef in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and all the spices. Then add the spice and bread crumb mixture, as well as the ketchup and mustard to the beef. Mix all the ingredients together until it is throughly combined. Scoop out tablespoon sized amounts of the beef mixture and roll it into tight balls. For easy cleanup, place the meatballs on the baking sheet lined with tin foil and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes. It may take a few minutes more or less to bake them, depending on the size of your meatballs. To check for doneness, check for an internal temperature of the 170°F or cut one of the meatballs in half to make sure that there is no more pink meat. (I prefer to cook my meat to well-done, especially ground beef. You may prefer your meat cooked to a different level of doneness but I prefer it this way so I look for 170°F.) Makes about 30 meatballs. You can serve these with marinara sauce on rolls for meatball subs or with noodles and sauce for a spaghetti and meatball dinner.
Serving size: 4 meatballs
UPDATED: added the nutritional information on 2/21/2011.
Per serving size:
124 Calories
2 g fat
2 g saturated fat
37 mg cholesterol
331 mg sodium
5 g carbohydrates
0 g fiber
3 g sugar
13 g protein