Looking for a new paleo-friendly meatball recipe to add to your repertoire? These paleo zucchini meatballs and creamy tomato sauce are hearty and full of flavor.

Back in my vegetarian days, I scoffed at the idea of eating meatballs. “What’s the point?” I thought. A hunk of meat, molded together by hand and baked just didn’t sound appealing.  There had to be more creative ways of eating meat – if you’re even into that sort of thing.

Fast forward to my newbie paleo phase – this past weekend, in fact – when I made meatballs for the first time ever. The verdict?

• They’re super easy to make: Ground beef and pork are mixed together with some seasonings and fresh ingredients, formed into balls, and baked. Now I know why my mom used to make meatballs all the time growing up – they take just minutes to make!
• They’re actually really tasty: Coming from me – meatball skeptic extraordinaire – that’s saying a lot. This meatball recipe is the recipe that will make you a believer. The zucchini adds a nice freshness and the creamy tomato sauce is the perfect, indulgent topping. Who would have thought?

 

A photo posted by Haley @ Cheap Recipe Blog (@cheaprecipeblog) on Aug 5, 2015 at 8:34pm PDT

A Good Paleo Starter Recipe

If you’re new to paleo (like me) and are looking for some good staple recipes to get you started, try this one. Like I said before, it’s super easy to make. Foolproof. And it makes good use of a late-summer bumper crop of zucchini. Serve it with a nice salad and you’re ready to go!

Here are some other zucchini and meatball recipes to try:

• Banh mi meatballs
• My Norwegian grandmother’s meatball recipe
• Swedish meatballs
• Ham balls (made with ground ham and ground pork)
• Zucchini “pasta” salad (omit mozzarella)
• Pesto-Parmesan meatballs
• Paleo & Whole30 compliant confetti chicken meatballs

If you’re looking for a creative way to enjoy meatballs, why not make meatball sliders or try adding meatballs as a pizza topping? Both are delicious!

Want more cheap paleo recipes? Follow me on Instagram where I have recently been posting daily paleo meals and photos of new recipes on the blog.

And if you have any tips or favorite recipes you want to share, please comment below.

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Paleo Zucchini Meatballs & Creamy Tomato Sauce

Yield: 24 meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These meatballs are extremely versatile. If you prefer other spices and flavorings, please feel free to modify the recipe. Some Italian seasoning might be nice - or possibly some cayenne pepper.

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Ingredients

For meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon beef Better Than Bouillon (optional)
• Salt and pepper

For tomato sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Form into balls using about two tablespoons of the meat mixture per ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until cooked through.
3. While the meatballs are baking, prepare tomato sauce: Saute onion in olive oil until it begins to soften. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Serve meatballs with plenty of tomato sauce and chopped scallions.

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