Gluten-Free Beef and Sausage Meatballs
Ground beef and turkey Italian sausage meatballs bound with flax seed meal and eggs, seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano, then baked with marinara sauce and topped with Parmesan. Quick weeknight dinner with 30 minutes hands-off cooking time.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 19 ½ oz turkey Italian sausagepork Italian sausage1:1omnivore
similar fat and flavor profile
- ½ cup flax seed meal or hemp heartshemp hearts1:1veganwhole_food
source already offers both as alternatives
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated, divided
- salt(optional)
- fresh-ground black pepper(optional)
- 24 oz marinara sauce
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400F.
- 2
Remove beef and sausage from fridge and squeeze sausage out of casings into a mixing bowl.
- 3
Add flaxseed meal, eggs, garlic powder, basil, oregano, half the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
- 4
Mix with clean hands until ingredients are just combined.
- 5
Use a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon to portion about 2 tablespoons of meat per meatball.
- 6
Arrange meatballs in a baking dish, spacing them close together.
- 7
Pour marinara sauce over meatballs, ensuring each is covered with sauce.
- 8
Bake until meatballs are firm and sauce is bubbling hot.
- 9
Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over meatballs and serve hot.
Tips
Lay finished meatballs on a cutting board before arranging in dish to judge what size baking dish you need.
Use low-sugar marinara sauce for reduced carbohydrate content.
Good to Know
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Form meatballs and refrigerate up to 8 hours before baking. Bake from cold, adding a few minutes to cook time.
Serve hot over pasta, zucchini noodles, or with crusty bread.
Common Mistakes
Overmix the meat mixture to avoid tough, dense meatballs.
Use cold meat from the fridge to avoid meatballs falling apart during baking.
Ensure meatballs are covered with sauce to prevent drying out.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
source already offers both as alternatives
low sugar alternative
General Alternatives
similar fat and flavor profile