Chia Seed Meatballs and Meatball Gratin

These were delicious! With the gestational diabetes, I can't have carbs so I gave chia seed meatballs a try (using chia seeds instead of breadcrumbs). It worked really well. They were super flavorful and you don't really notice the chia seeds, but they bind the meatballs together, and are apparently super good for you. The fennel seeds give them a bit of a sausage flavor and the sundried tomatoes give them some umami and richness. I topped them with marinara sauce, fontina, and pecorino and threw it under the broiler - so tasty! For Jamie, I made a meatball sub. 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I used 80% lean - makes them extra juicy)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated pecorino

1/4 tsp fennel seeds, chopped

Big pinch herbs de Provence 

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp milk

Big pinch red pepper flakes

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Mix all ingredients together and let it sit 10 minutes to let chia seeds do their thing. 

Shape into meatballs and put them on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet, lightly greased, and let sit another 10 minutes to let them continue to gel. Use a rimmed baking sheet otherwise the grease will smoke up your oven. (Oops.)

Bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 

For gratin, line a little skillet or baking dish with a little marinara. Fill with meatballs and top with more sauce, fontina, and pecorino. I also added a few slices of Vidalia onions. Throw it under the broiler for a few minutes until it's all bubbly and melty. Yum!