Classic Meatballs with Pumpkin Pie Spice Sauce

Meatballs are a classic recipe and I believe everyone has made some version of meatballs in their kitchen.

My meatball recipe is a basic version of meatballs made in a grain-free, dairy-free way using just eight simple ingredients and 15 minutes of preparation time. Then they are baked on a lined baking pan while you prepare the sauce. The great thing about meatballs is they are freezer-friendly and can save you time during busy weekday nights.

I like to make the sauce for the meatballs with hidden veggies in it, this way I know my family is getting some extra nutrients in their meal and the great thing about it is they don’t even know. During fall, I like to make fragrant dishes and I use Pumpkin Pie Spice a lot in my baked and non-baked recipes. It pairs well with this meatball sauce and gives it a nice fall flavor.

All you need to make this recipe:

Grass-fed ground beef
Almond flour
Coconut milk
Salt
Worcestershire sauce
Pepper
Small onion
Egg
Strained tomato sauce such as Pomi
Carrot
Parsnip
Celery root
Bone broth or water
Salt and Pepper
Sweetener of your choice such as Monkfruit or Allulose
Pumpkin Pie Spice

Classic Meatballs with Pumpkin Pie Spice Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

Makes 24 meatballs

1 lb lean (at least 80%) grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup Almond flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 pastured or omega-3 egg

For the Sauce:

1 strained tomato sauce (17.64 oz, 500g)
1 medium carrot
1 medium parsnip
1/4 celeriac root
1 qt (4 cups) bone or vegetable broth or water
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp sweetener (Allulose or Monkfruit)
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil; spray with avocado oil.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Shape mixture into 24 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on the pan.
Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until temperature reaches 160°F and no longer pink in the center.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Add the tomato sauce with broth or water into a pot, mix, and bring to a boil.
Peel the carrot, parsnip, and celery and cut them into smaller pieces.
Add the veggies into the boiling sauce and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are fork soft.
Using an immersion blender, blend the veggies in the sauce until smooth.
Add sweetener, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and pepper, stir, and let simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and if needed add more salt or sweetener.
Add the baked meatballs into the sauce to warm up and serve over your favorite pasta. I like to serve it over Hearts of Palm Pasta. Bon Appetit.