Meatballs & Zoodles

Who doesn't love a big bowl of spaghetti & meatballs?! I do! 🙋‍♀️ I love this take on a comfort food classic; it's lighter but still packs some serious flavour! Pair it up with some easy zoodles (or regular noodles too!) for an easy dinner with lots of left overs. YUM.

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs & Zoodles (Serves: 8)

Ingredients

For the meatballs

- 3 lbs lean ground beef (or 1/2 beef 1/2 pork if that's your jam)

- 3 large eggs

- 1/2 cup warm water

- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

- 2 tsp each; garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper

- 1/2 onion, grated

- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

For the sauce

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 1 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

- 1-14 oz. jar pasta sauce (I love Classico!)

- 4 large zucchini (or box of your favourite pasta)

Directions

For the meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Prepare 2 large baking trays lined with tin foil. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add beef, eggs, warm water and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix ingredients until incorporated.

3. Add in seasonings, onion and cheese. Use your hands again to incorporate ingredients. Mix until just combined (over mixing = tough meatballs!)

4. Using an ice cream scoop, begin to portion out meatballs. Scoop mixture and roll to form ball-like shape. Place on lined baking tray.

5. Once trays are full, bake for 13-15 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

For the sauce:

6. While the meatballs bake, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium size sauce pan on the stove. Bring to simmer, lower heat to LOW and let simmer while meatballs continue to bake and sauce is heated through.

For the zoodles**:

7. Wash zucchini thoroughly. Use a vegetable peeler to begin peeling zucchini, starting at one end to the other. Leave the skin on if you wish! Create long "noodles" by peeling until you've reached the core of the zucchini where the seeds start to show.

8. Add to your serving bowl, top with warm meatballs and sauce, and enjoy! Top with additional cheese, garlic or salt & pepper if you wish.

Notes:

** I don't have a spiralizer so this is how I make my zoodles. Alternatively you can spiralize them or buy them pre-made at the grocery story.

** I also do not cook my zoodles. Many other food experts do by boiling or sauteing however I find by adding on the hot sauce and meatballs that the heat that is transferred to the zoodles to leave them perfectly tender crisp and DELICIOUS. It also saves a step so...bonus!