Gluten Free Meatballs

I remember my mom making meatballs when I was little and serving them in a bit of tomato sauce over rice. They were so good and the rice was a much lighter alternative to the spaghetti most Americans think of when they think of pairing meatballs with a starch. 


Turn the clock to the present and meatballs are one of our daughter's favorite foods. She has her own way of enjoying them though - along side alfredo sauced pasta or with some buttered noodles. 


My inspiration to make them today is that we recently acquired a rice cooker. It's taken me years to decide that I wanted to add one to my kitchen equipment and now that I have, I am so glad I did. We had rice three times the first week and I think I'll make some extra to freeze for those nights when it would round out a fast dinner option. Fortunately, our daughter also happens to love brown rice, so I think that she might enjoy some meatballs the way my mother served them. Enter, Friday night dinner!


I've tweaked the traditional meatball recipe to ensure they are flavorful and gluten free. If you have other food sensitivities - like eggs - I've tried to include a substitute if one is needed and available.


Gluten Free Meatballs

• 1 lb ground meat - I've used beef, chicken, turkey and pork. They all work well.
• 3 Jenny O hot Italian sausage links, casing removed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 medium green pepper, diced small
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper (black)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley, ground between your palms over the bowl to break it down into a powdery consistency
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork - if you're allergic to eggs, leave it out

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and work with your hands to gently combine until the mixture is uniform. Sometimes I put the egg in the bowl first and add the spices then beat it with a fork again then add the rice and the meats and mix it all together. Other times I throw it in the bowl in the order I come to each ingredient in my kitchen and that works as well. 


Wash your hands and leave them a little wet. Using a tablespoon or a cookie scoop, scoop a walnut size ball of the meatball mixture into your hands and form it into a ball. Don't squish the ingredients together to be too compacted, this will make your meatballs heavy. Lay each meatball on a baking sheet as you finish forming it.


Once your baking sheet is full, place it in a preheated 350 degree oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes. Check your meatballs to determine how they're cooking. You want the finished meatball to be golden on the outside and nearly done in the middle. Depending on the size of your meatballs, this can take between 20 and 30 minutes. Don't be afraid to sacrifice a meatball or two to determine cooking time. 


Once the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven and cool on the baking rack. When cool, you can:  1) refrigerate them for use within a couple of days, 2) place them in a freezer bag and freeze for use when you need them, or 3) use them immediately.






To serve, I make a very simple marinara sauce and finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce to enhance the flavor of both the sauce and the meat. Below is my recipe.


Gluten Free Marinara Sauce

• 1 onion, diced small
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 tsp minced garlic (from a jar as I'm lazy)
• 1 large bunch of basil, rolled into a "cigar" shape and sliced thinly
• 1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, diced
• 1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little sugar if needed

Saute the onion in the EVOO in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add both cans of tomato product and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and partially cover the sauce pan with a lid to avoid creating a mess on your stove top. Stir frequently to avoid scorching your sauce on the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook over low for no more than 10 minutes. Add basil and stir to combine. 


Taste your sauce with a clean teaspoon to determine the amount of salt, pepper and if any sugar is needed to balance the sauce. Serve immediately or allow to cool and freeze. This sauce keeps in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. It also makes a terrific base for pizza. If I use it for pizza I sometimes add a little crushed red pepper flakes to enhance the flavor before spreading it over the crust. Always, always, always taste the sauce before you use it to determine if any tweaking is needed for it to be super tasty.


Once your sauce is made, add the meatballs to the pot and heat through over low heat until the meatballs have cooked through and are warm in the middle - probably 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently while the meatballs are cooking, but be gentle and use a large spoon to move things around the pot to avoid breaking down the meatballs and keep the sauce from scorching. You can add a bit of water if your sauce is too thick once the meatballs are added to the pot. You want a sauce that covers the meatballs without being too thick or gloppy. If you do this, make sure you taste a bit of sauce before serving to determine if any additional seasoning adjustments are needed.


Serve over gluten free pasta or, as my mom did, over rice. I prefer brown basmati or jasmine from the rice cooker. Grated parmesan is terrific grated over the top.


~Enjoy