Keto Stuffed Meatballs & Spaghetti Squash

Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs served in a 

Buttery Spaghetti Squash Boat complete with lots of

 Roasted Garlic and topped with a Savory Tomato Sauce

        I've had a love affair with meatballs my entire life. It was one of the first things I learned how to make as a child and throughout the years, I like to think I've perfected the recipe. What's great about meatballs, is that you can virtually add anything to them and as long as you have a good binding agent and of course are seasoned well. Anyone who knows me knows that I also love kale. Any opportunity I have to sneak it into food, I do! So in this recipe, I've added kale to mix... Because why not?!

If you're on a keto diet or just trying to eat healthier, spaghetti squash is a fantastic alternative to pasta. When cooked and fluffed with a fork, the squash resembles spaghetti but tastes a little sweeter and of course the texture is different. But, when my hub and I eat this, we literally don't even miss the pasta! It's really satisfying and guilt-free!! The first thing we have to do is get the spaghetti  squash roasting in the oven. So preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the squash in half and also cut a slice off the bottom to ensure the squash lays flat and doesn't wobble around. Rub inside and outside with olive oil and season inside with salt and pepper. 

I love garlic. That is all. 

So I roasted a whole clove wrapped in tinfoil and put in the oven with the squash for 45 minutes. You can obviously skip this step but why would you?! I use it at the end when it turns all creamy and sweet from the oven. 

        Stick these guys in the oven and roast. The garlic will take around 45 minutes or so and the squash takes 45-60 minutes. 

        While the squash is in the oven, it's time to get going on the meatballs. I prefer to use two types of meat in mine for added flavor and complexity. My go to is ground pork and ground beef. The great thing is, you can use whatever ground meat you have! I've made meatballs with ground turkey, chicken, lamb.. it really just comes down to what your preference is and of course, what you have on hand! **I've found that ground turkey requires a more seasoning because of its low fat content, it just doesn't have a lot of flavor. 

        Notice how small I chopped the kale! It looks like parsley, doesn't it? I've used spinach in the past too for the added nutrition. And, with shaved cheese and lots of herbs, I have not needed to use breadcrumbs as everything has stuck together pretty well and can be truly keto friendly! 

Now, I like all my meatballs to be the same size so I like to use a cupcake scooper to divide up the mixture. This step can completely be skipped.

        It's time to stuff the balls! I picked up some mini mozzarella cheese balls at the store and stuck them right in the middle, forming the meat all around it. You can also skip this step and the meatballs are still excellent without the cheese. 

This will give you an idea of the size they should be if you decide to stuff them. 

        I prefer to sauté my meatballs in some oil and butter to get a nice brown crust on them. A lot of people like to bake their meatballs. Either way will work in this recipe. Internal cooking temp needs to be 160 degrees F. If you decide to bake them, bake them at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes. Otherwise sauté the meatballs until they are nice and browned, remove from pan. Clean pan. Add meatballs back in and at this time, add your marinara sauce. You can make your own or use store bought. If I don't have the time to make homemade sauce. I typically use canned crushed tomatoes with canned tomato sauce that I season with herbs, salt, pepper, a dash of sugar and garlic powder. 

        The squash and garlic should be about done by now! They should resemble this when they're finished. Taste test the squash to see if it's cooked all the way. If it's still a little firm and crunchy, you can put it back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so to finish cooking. Look for the brown caramelization on the edges of the squash as an indicator that it's done.  

        The garlic can either be added to the squash or to your sauce! When your garlic clove has cooled, all you need to do is squeeze it out! lol I like to mix it into the squash and add  a little butter at this point.

        Pile your meatballs on top, spoon sauce all over it and top with more parmesan cheese! 

It is RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!

Keto Stuffed Meatball Spaghetti Squash

Cook time: 45-60 minutes        Prep time: 20 minutes        Total time: aprox. 1hour 30 minutes

Serving size: 2         

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash cut length wise
• 5 oz ground beef (I used 85% lean, 15% fat ratio)
• 5 oz ground pork sausage (any variety will do, I happen to love Jimmy Dean's sage pork sausage)
• marinara sauce (whatever your preference is!)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 large egg
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• 12 fresh raw mozzarella cheese balls (I like the kind in olive oil marinades)(OR you can use mozzarella cheese sticks cut into small pieces)
• 3 or 4 medium sized kale leaves (about a cup chopped)
• 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
• 1/3 c parmesan cheese (shredded or shaved)
• 3 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley, thyme) + 3 more Tbsp (to season your tomato sauce with)
• 1 tsp garlic powder for meatballs + 1 tsp garlic powder (in tomato sauce, optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• pepper to taste (about 1/2-1 tsp depending on your preference)
• 2 Tbsp butter  
• olive oil for cooking and for the outside of the squash

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash length-wish. Cut slices off the bottoms of the squash to ensure the squash sits flat and doesn't wobble around. 
3. Rub olive oil over the outside as well as the inside. Sprinkle the inside of both squash halves with salt and pepper. Place both halves facing downwards onto a sheet pan.
4. Cut a whole garlic clove in half horizontally. Rub both halves with olive oil. Then put both halves back together and wrap it into a tinfoil envelope to bake, making sure there are no openings in the tinfoil.
5. Place the squash and the garlic clove on a middle rack to bake for 45 minutes or so. (The garlic clove will for sure be done in 45 minutes, however the squash might take up to an hour to fully cook. Taste test the squash when you pull the garlic out to see if it's cooked all the way. I like my spaghetti squash to be soft and not have a 'crunch' to it. Other people may prefer a more 'al dente' firmness in theirs. Totally up to you.
6. Combine the meat, egg, finely chopped kale, diced onion, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with your hands to ensure everything is incorporated. 
7. Form into large balls and stuff each ball with mozzarella cheese (if you're stuffing them)
8. Sauté the meatballs over medium high heat until browned using olive oil. If you want to bake your meatballs, use a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Internal cooking temp for stuffed meatballs needs to be 160 degrees F
9.  Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan and return to the stove. Over low heat, add your marinara sauce. 
10. Add additional Italian seasoning to the marinara sauce and garlic powder. **This is my secret to elevating my marinara sauce. I add a dash of white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar. This really kicks up the dish! If you've never tried it, it can really improve any store bought pasta sauces.
11. Return the meatballs to the pan and let them simmer over low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes. If you sautéd the balls, this will ensure that they are fully cooked and enables the cheese to get all gooey and melty.
12. After the meatballs have had time to simmer, taste the sauce. Now is the time to adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if it needs it.
13. Take the squash and garlic out of the oven when they're ready. Fluff the squash with a fork. Add the roasted garlic between the two halves and add a pad of butter to each squash boat. 
14. Dish up the meatballs into each boat and top with marinara sauce and cheese. A sprinkle of parsley for garnish always looks good on this for presentation:) 
15. Eat right out of the squash and enjoy!!

Notes:

        I adjusted the serving size in the nutritional facts to 3 servings because I always have leftovers, especially extra meatballs. My husband and I will typically only eat 3 or four meatballs. The leftovers are good for two days in the fridge. You can double or triple this recipe to easily feed more people.  

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