
How To Make Italian Beef and Spinach Meatballs
This meatballs recipe is a lightened-up version of the meaty classic. The added spinach adds more fiber and nutrition while keeping the calorie count low.
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2sliceswhole wheat light bread,or gluten-free bread
- 1lbground beef,(93% lean)
- 1tbspolive oil
- 10ozfrozen spinach,thawed and squeezed of all liquid, chopped
- 1egg,large
- 1clovegarlic,minced
- 2tbspfresh parsley
- ½cuppecorino romano cheese,or favorite parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
For Tomato Sauce:
- 1tspolive oil
- 3clovessmashed garlic
- 28ozTuttorosso crushed tomatoes,(1 can)
- ½onion,not chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Wet bread with just enough water (or milk) to wet and then mash them up.
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Add to large bowl and combine with chopped beef, chopped spinach, egg, garlic, parsley, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients well until thoroughly combined.
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Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, measure meat and then divide in two so that each meatball is ⅛ of a cup. Roll into little meatballs.
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In a large pot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat on medium heat.
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When hot, add smashed garlic.
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When garlic is golden brown, after about 1 to 2 minutes, add the tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper and cover, reduce heat to low.
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Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil on low heat.
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When oil is hot add as many meatballs that will fit, cook on low, turning often so that all side get browned. Cook until the centers are cooked through.
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When finished, place on a dish lined with paper towels to blot any excess oil. Drop meatballs into sauce and continue cooking the remaining meatballs, repeating the process.
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When all meatballs are in the sauce, simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Discard onion and serve.
Nutrition
- Calories:Â 362.49kcal
- Fat:Â 22.72g
- Saturated Fat:Â 8.44g
- Trans Fat:Â 0.90g
- Monounsaturated Fat:Â 10.14g
- Polyunsaturated Fat:Â 1.31g
- Carbohydrates:Â 19.38g
- Fiber:Â 4.66g
- Sugar:Â 7.18g
- Protein:Â 22.40g
- Cholesterol:Â 91.78mg
- Sodium:Â 701.04mg
- Calcium:Â 255.13mg
- Potassium:Â 946.06mg
- Iron:Â 5.34mg
- Vitamin A: 267.02µg
- Vitamin C:Â 28.55mg
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