In addition to bacon appetizers around the holidays, I find meatball appetizers to be another must-have item on the menu. These Fancy Meatballs are baked in the oven, simmered in a light gravy sauce in a skillet and then topped with a little marinara sauce for serving. I used some grain-free bread pieces in the meatball mixture to give it a fluffiness that is missing in other grain-free meatball recipes. Feel free to use fancy toothpicks to really dress this tasty appetizer up! Enjoy!
2 cups grain free bread pieces (try Naan or Walnut Raisin Rolls)
½ cup coconut milk, full fat
12 ounces ground beef
12 ounces ground pork
½ cup yellow onion, minced
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh dill
½ cup marinara sauce
½ cup minced Arugula
Fancy Toothpicks
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a glass casserole pan with coconut oil.
Soak the bread pieces in the coconut milk for 10 minutes, then use electric mixer on low speed to mix it for 30 seconds. Add beef, pork, onion, and egg. Sprinkle in allspice, nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and increase speed to medium for 30 seconds.
Use small bowl of water to moisten your hands and create 35 meatballs. Place in the prepared casserole pan and bake for 25 minutes.
In a large skillet, add coconut oil and olive oil. Add coconut flour and brown, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and cream and bring to boil. Add meatballs to pan and simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and dill into sauce.
Plate the meatballs. Garnish each meatball with a teaspoon of marinara sauce, a fancy toothpick and a sprinkle of minced arugula. Enjoy!
Calories: 58
Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 1g
Sodium: 32mg
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 6g
Sugar: 0g