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Any recipe can be made gluten-free and healthy (or healthier) with a little creativity. This meatball recipe has been in my family for years and it’s oh-so-easy to make it gluten-free.
With school back in full swing and the holidays right around the corner, I’ve started thinking about ways to save time on busy nights and still eat well. Lord knows we’re all going to have a lot of those busy nights. I seem to have a lot of “this-pregnant-woman-is-ready-for-bed-at-8:30″ nights and really don’t want to cook.
This meatball recipe is actually my Grandma Ruth’s, which was handed down to my mom and then to me. I used to sit at our kitchen counter and help my mom scoop and roll them one by one. Everyone loved Grandma’s meatballs.
Everyone loves my gluten-free version too. My meatballs have passed the ‘man test.’ I send them with Joe when he plays poker with the guys. His friends jokingly tell me they only invite him because they know he’s bringing meatballs. (What is it about men and meatballs?)
There are so many things you can do with meatballs beyond the typical Spaghetti dish, though I love them that way. Or, at least I do when I’m pregnant.
Try meatball sandwiches, meatballs over spaghetti squash, or meatball pizza. My Grandma always served them in lots of sauce and no noodles which is how I send them with Joe on poker nights. Instead of bottled tomato sauce, I make Stovetop Marinara from scratch.
To save time, make a double batch of these and freeze the extras. I use the same technique to freeze meatballs as I do to freeze blueberries. It keeps them from sticking together.
Other Gluten-Free Batch Cooking Recipes:
- Chicken, Mushroom, & Brown Rice Casserole with Leeks
- How to Freezer Marinate Chicken
- Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup
Have a favorite freezer cooking tip or recipe? Share it in the comments.
A simple homemade meatball recipe with lots of flavor. Easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 pounds ground turkey, beef, or pork, or a combination
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup brown rice bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Put the ground meat in a large bowl. Break it up gently with a fork.
- Add the eggs, brown rice bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Use a fork to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Don’t compact the meat when mixing so that the meatballs aren’t dense.
- Use an small ice cream scooper or a spoon to portion the meat evenly into the desired size. Roll into balls.
- Heat an electric skillet to 350F or a large skillet on the stove top to medium high.
- Brown the meatballs and cook until done on the inside. The internal temperature should be 165F.
- Serve as desired.
Notes
Top this recipe with Stovetop Marinara sauce.
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Mimi (Gingersnaps)
posted on September 14, 2011 at 9:36 am
Those look so yummy! Quick question — not to mess with your family recipe or anything, but if one doesn’t have rice flour, would a little bit of coconut flour work in a pinch? Just wanted your take in case you’d tried it and could warn me before I made a kitchen nightmare.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@Mimi (Gingersnaps), I don’t use rice flour, I use brown rice bread crumbs. They’re two different things. You could try coconut flour – it might work. It’s really absorbent so it could possibly hold the meatballs together.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
L. Horhn
posted on September 14, 2011 at 12:50 pm
I find that I can omit eggs and breadcrumbs/flour by mixing in about 1/4 cup of organic tomato paste (sugar free of course) and chopped or grated veggies like onion and bell pepper with the ground turkey. It works for meatloaf too.
[Reply]
Tana
posted on September 15, 2011 at 11:28 am
I will make these. Do you cook them before freezing them? Thanks.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Tana, Yes, cook before freezing.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
InTolerantChef
posted on September 15, 2011 at 6:04 pm
It’s such a great backup to have freezer meals, I’ve got to stock mine up in preparation for some surgery soon, and these meatballs look like a winner.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@InTolerantChef, Sending wishes for a successful surgery and a quick, full recovery! And, yes, these would be great.
Hugs,
Amy
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The Healthy Apple
posted on September 16, 2011 at 7:57 pm
I loooove meatballs; so excited to start making them this Fall. They’re one of my favorites in the Fall and Winter seasons.
So excited to meet you in Dallas at the Gluten-Free Expo. Have a wonderful weekend!
xo
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 am
@The Healthy Apple, I am excited to meet you, too! It’s hard to believe it’s right around the corner.
See you soon!
Amy
[Reply]
Rogene
posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Your meatballs look like a great thing to have on hand in the freezer. I’ve been feeling the urge to get my freezer stocked up too. So, far it’s been mostly soup. I don’t have much freezer space but it is nice to have a few things to fall back on in a pinch. I can relate to the idea of being too tired to cook and I’m not even pregnant.
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abbie
posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:08 pm
I made a huge batch of meatballs during my last trimester and stuck them in the freezer for snacks, and meals after the baby came. My mother’s recipe is pretty similar, though she adds a bit of orange zest to the tomato sauce and she uses oats that have been lightly pulsed in the food processor. (Can you eat oats? Some gluten-intolerant people cannot.) Your picture looks super yummy!
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Amy Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:37 am
@abbie, Yes, I can eat oats. They would work great in place of the brown rice bread crumbs.
Hugs,
Amy
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Lori @ Laurel of Leaves
posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Thanks for the reminder on freezer cooking. I keep meaning to make big batches of recipes just like this one. My husband loves meatballs, so this is definitely one to add to my list!
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Jen
posted on September 23, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Love the idea of freezing homemade meatballs. Have you ever tried using cooked quinoa in place of bread crumbs/oatmeal? I just did for the first time last night in our mini-meatloaves and loved the result. The quinoa adds great texture and flavor.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 8:05 am
@Jen, Yes, I have a meatloaf in my cookbook that uses quinoa instead of bread crumbs. It’s delicious.
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