lil carb Meatball Parmesan

Watch me make this amazing dinner!

Italian dishes are some of my favorite dinners to make. However, they are not always low carb friendly.  This recipe has very few carbs and you can enjoy it with just a side salad.  You will never miss the pasta or the bread.  I made this and served it with a caesar salad that included my own homemade dressing that you can find HERE and topped with homemade parmesan crisps!
Even my non-low carb eating family members loved this dinner.
Don't ever think that just because you are living a low carb lifestyle you still can't enjoy your favorite foods.  That is my main blogging-goal: to show everyone that food can be healthy, simple, and totally flavorful all while keeping low on carbs :)  This is a lifestyle that I am trying to make effortless!


lil carb Meatball Parmesan- Makes 20 2-Tbsp scoop meatballs
*Only 2 grams of carbs per meatball!!*

Veggie Prep
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp chopped garlic, 4-6 cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat a small skillet over medium low heat and melt the olive oil.
Add in the garlic and onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and become translucent. Don't let the mixture burn, adjust the heat accordingly depending on your stove.
Once they are softened remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Making The Meatballs
2 Lb Ground Beef- I used 85/15
2 eggs, slightly beaten with a fork
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Butter & Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl add in the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs and stir to combine. Then add in the egg and mix together. Mixture will form a paste consistency. Then add in the onion and garlic that were cooling in the skillet and mix again. Then with clean hands add in the ground beef and mix until everything is combined- do not over mix. 
In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.
I used a 2 Tbsp scoop and formed the meatballs, rolled them in my hands and dropped them into the skillet to brown on all sides. Once they are browned move them to a paper towel lined plate.
For the second batch I added into the skillet another 1/2 tbsp of butter and 1/2 tbsp oil and added in the rest of my meatballs to brown.
Now... the Parmesan!


Assembling The Parmesan!
1-2 cups tomato sauce plus extra for serving- Homemade or store bought just check the carbs
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Chopped Parsley for garnish

In a large baking dish put 1 cup of sauce to cover the bottom- add more until the whole bottom of your dish is covered.
Add in the meatballs right on top of the sauce. Dont's stack them make sure they all touch the bottom of the baking dish.
Alternate layers of cheese right on top.
Put into a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Finish under the broiler for 2 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and dig in!!

*This recipe makes 20 meatballs but you could certainly cut the recipe right in half and make 10 meatballs! Or double it and make 40!

!ENJOY!