Paleo Slow Cooker Meatballs & Marinara
A favorite dish at The Paleo Diet® is this slow-cooked creation of meatballs with marinara sauce. Pair with your favorite Paleo veggie noodles or a fresh salad and you’ve got a nutritious and delicious meal to be enjoyed by all. Leftovers can be served with eggs at breakfast, taken for a midday lunch on a busy workday, or heated up the next evening for dinner. Better make double!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Scale
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt-free Italian seasoning blend
- generous pinch crushed red pepper adjust for spice preference
- 2 lbs grass-fed beef, ground
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley – optional
For the sauce:
- 28 oz can salt-free crushed tomatoes with basil
- 14 oz can salt-free diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
- 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- In a small bowl, mix the almond flour, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, the egg and almond flour mix (plus parsley if adding) and gently mix with your hands until the mixture binds and is evenly distributed.
- It’s important not to work the meat too much or it becomes tough.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your broiler on low.
- Form the meat mixture into 20 meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet.
- Broil 2-4 minutes, just to lightly brown, and release a small amount of fat (this avoids an overly greasy sauce).
- Remove promptly.
- Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, leaving behind any rendered fat.
- Top the meatballs with all sauce ingredients and give a gentle stir, being careful not to break the meatballs.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until meatballs are cooked through.
To make the sauce:
- Put crushed tomatoes in a bowl.
- While stirring, add in the remaining ingredients.
Notes
Keywords: paleo, meatballs, marinara, slow cooker
