Paleo Newbie

Crock Pot Italian Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Trina
paleonewbie-com recipe slow cooked Italian meatballs in marinara sauce

You know how you hear that slow cooked marinara sauce is the best? It’s because it simmers on the stove for hours or sometimes all day…

Slow cooked marinara sauce makes your house smell heavenly, and when it’s finally ready, it is truly bellissimo!

As an Italian girl, I know sometimes great food takes a little extra time to prepare. But lucky you, you get to cheat a little with this recipe and simply plug in your crock pot. It will do most of the work while you get to take a bow at the end of the meal. [av_sidebar widget_area=’Lockerdome’ av_uid=’av-2g0tn2′]

I used my favorite canned tomato, San Marzano, for this recipe. You don’t have to, but any cook will tell you they’re the best. Why? Because they’re perfectly vine-ripened and come packed in pure tomato sauce instead of water. Well worth the extra cost in my opinion. But if you prefer fresh tomatoes, by all means, use them. You may need to add some tomato paste to thicken the sauce.

I gotta tell you, my hubby is not a fan of meatballs. I know, he’s just weird. So when I said I was making this recipe, he just shrugged. I knew he was thinking who eats those little balls of meat anyway?

Then he tasted them, and changed his opinion real fast. He loved them so much he had them for dinner last night, and again today for lunch. Need I say more?

Another great idea for these is to serve them as appetizers at cocktail parties. Just make them a little smaller and stick those cute little toothpicks in them and your crowd will love them!

Give them a try.

Ciao peeps!

Print
Paleo Italian Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

    Meatballs
  • 1 1/2 lbs, of grass-fed beef (or another meat of your choice)
  • 1 large onion, diced small (set aside one half for the sauce)
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic (set aside one half for the sauce)
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/4 cup of fresh, chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
    • Marinara Sauce
  • (1) 28-oz can of San Marzano plum tomatoes with sauce
  • (1) 15-oz can of tomato sauce
  • The other half of the diced onions and minced garlic (see meatball ingredients above)
  • 1 tsp of dried oregano
  • 1 tsp of dried basil
  • 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp of sea salt
  • A healthy pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 5-7 minutes
  2. Next season with salt, add garlic, and cook for one additional minute
  3. Remove from heat
  4. Add half of the onion/garlic to the crockpot, and set the other half aside
  5. Add remaining ingredients for the sauce into crock pot
  6. Break apart the tomatoes in the crock pot so they are not whole
  7. Set crockpot to low
  8. Add ground beef to the bowl you set aside of the chopped onions and minced garlic
  9. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients to the same bowl
  10. GENTLY combine all the meatball ingredients with your hands – do not over mix or your meatballs will turn out tough
  11. Preheat a medium or large frying pan with few tablespoons of coconut or olive oil over medium heat
  12. Form meatballs by hand -- make each about the size of a golf ball
  13. Place meatballs in the heated frying pan, to get a nice brown on the surface. (they should still be raw in the center and will be cooked through in the crock pot)
  14. Transfer browned meatballs directly into the crock pot
  15. Cook in crock pot on low 4-6 hours
  16. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot
  17. Enjoy!
3.1
https://www.paleonewbie.com/crock-pot-paleo-italian-meatballs-in-marinara-sauce/
Exit mobile version