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Sunday Slow Cooker: Italian Meatballs

Name: Sunday Slow Cooker: Italian Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 egg; 1 egg white; 1 tsp salt; 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (leave out for low carb); 1 small onion, minced; 1/4 cup parsley, minced; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; 1 lb 95% lean ground beef; 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey sausage; 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes; 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning; 1 tsp red pepper flakes; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 cup low sodium chicken broth; 1 bay leaf

By Kristen Mccaffrey Feb 02, 2013

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source: slenderkitchen.com

Right

244

Calories

16g

Carbs

Fat

25g

Protein

Weight Watchers^® SmartPoints™

(6 PointsPlus^®)

Recipes Content

Recipe

250 Calories, Beef, Crock Pot, Freezer Friendly, Holiday, Kid Friendly, Pasta, Slow Cooker

Dinner

Weight Watchers^®

Rating: 5 - 1 comment

Few things are more delicious and comforting than meatballs simmered low and slow in tomato sauce with hints of Parmesan, parsley, and sausage studded throughout. True Italian meatballs normally combine pork, beef, and veal to create rich deep flavors. These lightened up slow cooker meatballs use lighter turkey sausage to deepen the flavor without all the added calories and fat. They are cooked in a rich tomato sauce in the slow cooker to create delicious and moist meatballs. Try them over pasta, spaghetti squash, or stuffed in crusty rolls to make meatball sandwiches.

Prep Time

Sunday Slow Cooker: Italian Meatballs

Prep Time:

20 min

Cook Time:

6 hours

Total Time:

6 HOURS 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

1 U egg
1 U egg white
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (leave out for low carb)
1 U small onion, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
6 U garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1/2 lb. lean ground turkey sausage
1/2 tbsp olive oil
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 U bay leaf

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Nutritional Facts

Serving Size:

3 meatballs (301g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244

Calories from Fat 58

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 9g

14%

Saturated Fat 3g

17%

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 84mg

28%

Sodium 910mg

40%

Total Carbohydrate 16g

Dietary Fiber 3g

13%

Sugars 6g

Protein 25g

Directions

Whisk together the egg and egg white in a bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, 1/4 of the onion, parsley, cheese, and 3 minced garlic cloves.
Gently mix in the beef and sausage until just combined. Roll out your meatballs to about 1 inch in diameter. You should get around 24. Add them to the crockpot.
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Stir for 30 seconds and add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs and cook on low for 6 hours.

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† SmartPoints™ and PointsPlus^® calculated by Slender Kitchen; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.

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Comments

By B R

on March 7, 2016 - 16:13

Rate this Recipe:

These were delicious! I did make a few alterations to the recipe: 1) I baked the meatballs in the oven at 375 F for 20 minutes before adding them to the sauce, and 2) cooked them on HIGH for 6 hours, partially removing the lid for the last hour to help thicken the sauce (it is quite thin). I also used regular diced tomatoes since I didn't have the Italian version, but increasing the Italian Seasoning, and adding some cumin and other spices took care of that. I'm not a fan of the red pepper flakes, but have to say they really kicked this up from good- to great-tasting for me. I will be making this again!