Keto Italian Meatballs Freezer Meal
This classic keto Italian meatballs freezer meal recipe is a perfect choice for a quick and easy low-carb and nut-free meal! All you have to do is simply roll together the meatballs, freeze, and then cook directly from frozen in the oven.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Course: Freezer Meal
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: keto freezer meal recipe, keto italian meatballs, keto italian meatballs recipe
Servings: 16 meatballs
Author: Sara Nelson
Mix, Roll, and Freeze Together:
- ¾ lb ground beef
- ¾ lb ground pork
- ½ cup 56g shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup 30g grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp 30mL heavy whipping cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp 33g tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp ~8g finely chopped onion
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Add After Freezing/Cooking (Do Not Include in Freezer Bag):
- 1 cup 250g Rao's Sensitive Marinara Sauce
- ½ cup 56g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
To Cook:
Oven Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add frozen meatballs to a small glass or ceramic baking dish. If meatballs are frozen together, break apart. Bake frozen meatballs for 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven, pour marinara sauce atop meatballs, sprinkle shredded mozzarella atop sauce, then return pan to oven to cook for additional 5 minutes. Move on to “Final Steps” as written below.
Final Steps: Serve meatballs hot and garnish with fresh parsley.
Rao's Sensitive Marinara Sauce Substitute: You can use a different variety of marinara sauce, but I personally choose this product because of the minimal net carb content.
Maintaining Shape Of Meatballs In Freezer Bag Prior To Freezing: If you want the meatballs to be perfectly rounded, after rolling them from raw, lay them in a flat, even-layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer, and allow to chill for 30-45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and re-roll the meatballs prior to transferring the chilled meat balls to a freezer bag to fully freeze in the freezer.
Remove Excess Air From Freezer Bag Without Flattening Meatballs In Freezer Bag: Either use a vacuum sealer or, seal freezer bag almost completely, leaving a small section open to fit a straw in, suck the air through the straw, and then seal remaining portion of freezer bag.
Cooking Meatballs Before Freezing: If you’d prefer to cook the meatballs before freezing, bake them at 400 degrees until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 165 degrees, about 25 minutes. You can choose to pour tomato sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese atop meatballs before freezing, or wait to do so after you have thawed the frozen meatballs and are ready to serve. If you freeze the pre-cooked meatballs with sauce, reheat in a large pan on the stovetop until warmed throughout. If you freeze the pre-cooked meatballs without sauce, reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed throughout.
Serving Options: Serve meatballs simply on their own, or atop Miracle Noodles or zucchini noodles.
Storage For Cooked Italian Meatballs: Store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 2-3 days.