I just had to make a recipe for Nested Meatballs. Had to.
Someone on Facebook shared a video about spaghetti muffins and I really, really wanted them. But they were definitely not low carb.
My solution was to get a spaghetti squash and try it out. Fortunately spaghetti-squash-as-crust was not unfamiliar territory for me as I’d done something like this in my Spaghetti Squash Pie recipe.
This time I decided to mix grated mozzarella into the squash so that as it cooked it would help hold it together and lend more flavor to the ‘nest’. I also added a teaspoon of Italian herbs and an egg.
I divided the mixture into the muffin tins and pressed down the center of each one before placing the nests in the oven for their first baking. Baking them once before filling them is one of the secrets of the nested meatballs keeping their shape when plated. (The cheese may melt into the center of the nest, it’s OK.)
When they came out of the oven, I began filling each one with a bit of marinara sauce, a meatball, a little more sauce and some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Here they are, ready for their second baking.
It totally worked. These are dangerously good. These are ‘don’t-be-alone-in-a-room-by-yourself-with-the-whole-pan’ good.
These pack up and re-warm well and would be a great take-along for a potluck or appetizer table. (About three of them also make a scrumptious light lunch. -That’s why there are only 9 in the box. 🙂 )
The way I made these they aren’t super low carb, as they are about 3.7 net carbs each. I found sugar-free marinara, but the meatballs had carbs..:( . If you used a low carb recipe for meatballs like this one on the Atkins site, you could cut the carb factor down a bit more.
So the 3.7 is my best guess-timate. You will have to make your own calculations according to what sauce and meatballs you choose.
My husband liked these Nested Meatballs so much that I’ve made them twice in the past week. Enjoy! – Laura
Buy it here. Make it at home.
Gia Russa Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
Parmigiano Reggiano
Sargento Shredded Mozzarella
Nested Meatballs ~ Low Carb
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash
- 1 large Egg Whole
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1 tsp Italian Herbs mixture
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 12 average meatballs about 1 oz. each
- 1 cup low or no sugar marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup Parmesan Shredded Cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray muffin tins with vegetable spray.
- in a medium mixing bowl, stir together squash, egg, mozzarella, Italian herbs and salt.
- Divide squash mixture evenly among muffin cups. Press down the center of each with back of spoon.
- Bake nests for 12 minutes.
- While nests are in the oven, gather the rest of the ingredients for assembly.
- If the meatballs are from frozen, be certain to warm up in the microwave a bit, to at least room temperature.
- Please note: The pan will be hot from the oven when assembling this dish so care must be taken not to touch it or get burned.
- Assemble the dish.
- add a 1-2 tsp. of marinara to each nest and place a meatball in each one.
- Cover meatball with more Marinara and then sprinkle each one with Parmesan.
- Return pan to oven for 12 minutes.
- Allow nests to cool for 5-8 minutes before removing from pan.
- Loosen each nest by going around the edge with a knife.
- Gently scoop out nests onto individual plates or party platter.
- Serve immediately.