Gluten Free and Grain Free Meatballs
and Quick Gluten Free Marinara perfect for Gluten Free Spaghetti Night or a Gluten Free Meatball Sub
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Dear Friends,
“Oh the meatballs are the recipe I came to this class for!” exclaimed a student at one of my recent classes. I probed a little, “Why the meatballs?” She explained several approaches to gluten free meatballs she had tried, and how much trouble they had given her. Meatballs had fallen apart, been crumbly and dry and in general disappointing. As the class continued I demonstrated my method, meatballs made juicy and flavorful with aromatic vegetables, cooked potatoes standing in for the traditional moistened breadcrumbs and just a bit of a secret ingredient: baking soda. Baking soda alters the ph balance of the meat slightly and prevents the pebbly dry texture that can plague finely ground meats (don’t just try it here, this technique works for burgers, sloppy joes, meatloaf, wherever you use ground meat). A method touted by the likes of America’s Test Kitchen.
When I got home from the class I had some leftover meatballs, so instead of serving them with pasta, I piled them on crusty gluten free rolls with marinara for a gluten free meatball sub sandwich. Meatball subs remind me of my mother, who loves them and calls them grinders - as she’s originally from Connecticut. She used to whip them up for us occasionally with frozen meatballs when we were kids, regaling us with stories of drippy meatball sandwiches in her Bostonian Aunt’s (AHNT’S) corner store. I’m happy I can pass on the meatball sammy love to my kids, delicious and gluten free.
Gluten-Free Grain Free Italian Meatballs
Yield: 2 dozen meatballs
1 Tb minced garlic
½ cup minced onion
2 Tb olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 lb gluten-free Italian sausage
½ cup cooked potato (bake or microwave a potato until tender, peel before using)
1/2 tsp baking soda
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tb fresh)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 Tb fresh)
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir or knead until well combined. Using a spoon or a small scoop, make meatballs the size of golf balls and place on an oiled or lined baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs 14-18 minutes until internal temperature reaches 155F. Serve with marinara and pasta, or as an appetizer, or in a sandwich!
Quick Basil Marinara Sauce
yield: 1 quart
2 T Olive Oil
¼ Onion Diced
2 Garlic cloves minced
12 oz Tomatoes canned, or fresh Roma tomatoes chopped
¼ C Tomato Paste
2 Tb Fresh Basil
1 Tb Fresh or 1 tsp dried Oregano
1 T Sugar
1 cup Chicken Stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh black pepper
In a 1 large pot, heat the olive oil for 1 minute and add the onion. Sweat the onions over medium heat until almost clear. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring so the garlic does not burn. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, sugar, and stock. Stir well for 2 minutes and reduce heat to low.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring gently every 5 minutes or so. Serve over pasta, with meatballs, or on pizza.
A Tip To Make Meatballs a Breeze:
I use a small metal scoop - sort of like a miniature ice cream scoop, and it makes meatballs so easy, just scoop right onto the the tray without having to fuss with handrolling. This makes things go so much quicker!
Quick Gluten Free in the Summer Tip:
As many of you may know being able to cook meals for yourself really helps keep the chance of getting glutened. We love to book a stay with a kitchen like AirBnB, VRBO, or even a cabin. Bringing a few pots and pans and utensils that aren’t contaminated makes cooking on the road a breeze, but if we are flying we make sure to purchase a cheap pan to cook on as soon as we get to the destination, so that we have something quick, when we’ve just arrived and are hungry and can take our time assessing the other kitchen equipment!
