Hungry Girl: Saucy Meatballs You'll Make Again & Again

These health-conscious meatballs are fully loaded with a hearty red sauce, a double dose of cheese and a fresh tomato-basil topping

If you want to impress your guests (or coworkers or family members), make a batch of these meatballs! They’re fully loaded with hearty red sauce, a double dose of cheese and a fresh tomato-basil topping. I love them, and you will too! Get ready to roll…

Saucy Parmesan Meatballs
Serves 4

1 cup seeded and diced tomato
¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
½ tsp. each salt and black pepper
1 lb. raw extra-lean ground beef (at least 96% lean)
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup (about 2 large) egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute
¼ tsp. onion powder
¾ cup marinara sauce with 3g fat or less per ½-cup serving
¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8″ X 8″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, basil, 1 tsp. garlic, and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Gently mix until uniform. Cover and refrigerate.
3. In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, remaining 2 tsp. garlic, and remaining ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Firmly and evenly form into 12 meatballs.
4. Place meatballs in the baking pan, and evenly top with marinara. Cover pan with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove foil, and bake until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parm. Bake until mozzarella has melted, about 5 minutes.
7. Serve topped with tomato mixture.

RELATED VIDEO: How to Make the Perfect Meatball!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Nutritional Information: ¼th of recipe (3 meatballs with sauce and toppings): 255 calories, 8.5g total fat (4.5g sat fat), 681mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 31.5g protein

‘Til next time… Chew the right thing!