This week, I’ll be walking the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of Toy Story 5.
That is a sentence I never thought I’d write.
Hubs is assigned the task of photo and video documentation as movie milestones like this don't come along too often in the life of a voice actor who’s used to hiding way, way behind the mic in her career.
In times like these, I rely on my low carb way of eating to help keep me sane. This recipe for Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs has been a staple for the past two months. When I first thought of the recipe, I imagined it would be a fun way to get kids to eat meatballs…and what mom doesn’t want that?
But after the first time I created these gluten free, ooey-gooey meatballs, I was blown away by how good they were. I might not eat regular, non-stuffed meatballs ever again.
For the meatball recipe itself, I always use some version of the one I’ve been making for 30+ years from my low carb Italian food cookbook Eat Happy Italian.
I use the slow cooker for these meatballs because two hours on high is foolproof for the most tender meatballs ever. To make them low carb/keto, I use almond flour or crushed pork rinds in place of breadcrumbs.
So many restaurants make a delicious meatball, but for those of us looking for gluten free and/or low carb, you have to make your own at home. And these are insanely delicious.
Just a few things before we get to the recipe…
If you live in SoCal, I am co-producing the Corkscrew Comedy Festival here in the Santa Ynez Valley over father’s day weekend. GET TICKETS HERE and laugh your meatballs off!
Eat Happy Kitchen brought back the Griller Pack for Father’s Day! Get our BBQ Dust and Salt Dust for 25% off. We only made 50 of these packs, so claim yours while we gots ‘em, fam. You’ll use these dusts all summer to grill everything you can dream up (and you can use Salt Dust in this meatball recipe like I do).
Don’t forget to upload your pre-order receipt for Eat Happy Cocktail Hour! This is my new cookbook, dropping 10/13, and I’m teaching a private mixology class on June 17th to everyone who pre-orders the book by 6/15.
The recipe for slow cooker, gluten free, low carb Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs is printed below, also in the Substack recipe card format, and attached here as a printable PDF.
Note: you can use a jar of whatever flavor Eat Happy Kitchen pasta sauce that strikes your fancy, choose any brand of clean store-bought, or make your own marinara based on the recipe in Eat Happy Italian. I use 1 tablespoon of Salt Dust in place of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, but that’s because I’m obsessed with Salt Dust and use it on literally everything.
MOZZARELLA STUFFED MEATBALLS
(Yields 20-24 2” meatballs)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork or ground loose Italian flavored sausage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
3/4 cup almond flour or crushed pork rinds
3-4 slices salami, minced
3 eggs
4-5 mozzarella sticks, cut into 1” pieces (or use fresh ciliegine small mozzarella balls, drained and pressed dry)
1-25oz jar marinara (check the label for no sugar added and no seed oils)
In a large mixing bowl, add all the meatball ingredients except for the mozzarella and marinara. Using your hands, combine everything until well mixed. Using a tablespoon or large cookie scooper, roll out 2” meatballs and place them on a plate.
For each meatball, press a hole with your thumb and insert a mozzarella piece into the center, making sure you cover it completely and seal up the meatball. Repeat with all the meatballs and place them in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Pour the entire jar of marinara over the meatballs. Cook on High for 2 hours, then serve, ladling the sauce over the meatballs.
XOXO
Anna
