Keto Stuffed Meatballs Recipe

These Keto Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are a filling and flavor-packed meal on their own, or you can add them as a topping to some of your favorite Keto-friendly pasta alternatives too. Maybe you could even whip up some Fathead Dough to make some rolls and turn these into an awesome Keto Meatball Sandwich!

If you want to reduce the carbs even further, you could always leave out the Marinara Sauce and just eat the meatballs by themselves, but I think you miss out on a ton of the flavor if you do. When buying the Mozzarella (both the Cheese Sticks and the Block Cheese to shred) make sure that you buy the Low Moisture Whole Fat (Whole Milk) version and not the Low Moisture Part Skim version. The Part Skim Version is lower in fat, and also melts differently than the Whole Fat variety. That will usually be labeled on the outside of the packaging very clearly so that you can spot the difference. It won’t be a disaster if you use the wrong kind, but we also aren’t trying to lower the fat content of this dish by any means either.

Some people don’t eat pork, so thankfully many butchers will also make Chicken Sausage varieties of their Sweet or Hot Italian Sausages. I typically get mine from the local butcher, who sells it in cased sausages as well as ground bulk options. Either way it’s the same meat and when he runs out of bulk I will just purchase the sausages whole and remove them from their natural casing.

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Prep Time:10 Minutes

Cooking Time:20 Minutes

Total Time:30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 Pound Fresh Hot Italian Sausage (Chicken or Pork)
1 Pound Grass-fed Ground Beef
2-3 x Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
1/2 Cup Cello Parmesan Cheese Whisps (Crushed)
1 JarMezzetta Marinara Sauce
8 ounces Low Moisture Full Fat Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
1 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley (Optional)
1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the Oven to Broil (Usually about 500*F).
In a Large Mixing Bowl Combine the Grass-Fed Beef with the Hot Italian Sausage.
Add in the Crushed Parmesan Cheese Whisps, Granulated Garlic, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano. Combine well.
Slice the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks into roughly 1/2″ long sections.
Oil an Oven Safe pan with your choice of oil. Avocado Oil is usually preferred for high heat applications like this, as it has less of a tendency to smoke. I prefer Unfiltered Olive Oil for the flavor, but that can get a little smokey.
Take a pinch of the meatball mixture and tuck one of the Mozzarella Cheese Stick slices into the middle of it and roll into a ball. Place the Meatballs into the pan, and be sure to slide them back and forth a little bit when placing them in the pan to insure that the bottom of the meatball is coated in oil (This seems to help prevent sticking to the pan).
Place the pan of meatballs in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top of the meatballs just begins to get a brown crisp to the top of them.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and top the meatballs with the jar of Mezzetta Marinara Sauce, and 8 ounces of shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
Place the pan back in the oven for about 5 to 7 more minutes, or until the Mozzarella Cheese on top is browned or bubbling to your liking.
Remove from the oven, and optionally top with a sprinkle of Parsley and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

SERVING SUGGESTION: I tend to just eat these by themselves, as they are very filling, and with the Marinara Sauce you are technically getting in your veggies. If you are looking to serve these on a Keto-friendly pasta, I would suggest trying them on top of some Palm Heart Noodles, Zucchini Noodles, Spaghetti Squash, or even some Shirataki Noodles.