Kickin' Meatball Recipe

Meatballs are a great go-to meal. It’s a dish where you can cater to the milder palettes of children but can easily mix it up for those who like more flavor. You can make a few plain, then add in all the extra goodies for the adults. This way everyone is essentially eating the same thing as a family, but everyone’s palate is satisfied. Plus it’s a dish that can be quickly prepped and made in advance, then put in the oven at a later time. Check out the recipe below for a creative twist on your average meatball.

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 Large Sweet Onion
1 Lbs Ground Beef (or any ground protein of your choice)
¼ cup Panko Bread Crumbs (or for a low carb option, substitute for almond flour)
1 Jalapeno
2 Cloves Garlic (feel free to use more!)
1 Tablespoon Fry Seasoning (I like Red Robin’s, but Lawry’s would work too)
1 Tablespoon Chopped Chives
1 Tablespoon Water

Gravy
½ Tablespoon Flour (or cornstarch or arrowroot for a low carb option)
2 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Beef Stock Concentrate (can add a bit more to taste)
¾ Cup Water
1 Drizzle of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste


Directions
PreHeat oven to 425 degrees and adjust the rack to the top.
Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion. Mince a few slices until you have about 2-3 tablespoons, and set aside.
Finely chop chives for garnish
Halve and seed Jalapeno, dice into pieces
Mince garlic cloves
In a large bowl combine beef, bread crumbs, half the fry seasoning (the rest will be used later), minced onions, diced jalapeno, 1 tablespoon of water, and a pinch of salt. Form into 10-12 meatballs.
Place meatballs onto an oiled or greased baking sheet. For easy cleanup, line sheet with foil first, then grease.
Place on top rack, and cook for 14-16 minutes or until fully cooked.
While meatballs are cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan using medium-high heat.
Add sliced onions and cook for 7-9 minutes or until softened. Add the rest of the fry seasoning, ½ tablespoon of flour and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until lightly caramelized, about 1-2 mins. Stir in beef stock concentrate and ¾ water. Continue to cook and stir until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in another tablespoon of butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cooked meatballs to onion gravy and stir until fully coated.
Garnish with chives and serve with your favorite sides!

This dish is great paired with roasted green beans (since they take the same amount of time to cook in the oven as the meatballs), and either mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, for a lower carb option!