More sauce added AFTER photo was taken
Not your usual meatball dish, but man, was this ever good! I used just enough Smoked Gouda to be a subtle background taste, but you can add more if you prefer. This recipe makes 24 meatballs and I found 4 per serving filled us right up, in fact 3 filled me up and I put one back into the pot. I have another meal or two leftover for my freezer! 🙂 This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins (but omit wine if still in Induction) and Keto diets if the carbs will fit into your day.
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MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
2 eggs, beaten
1 slice my Flax-Whey Protein Bread (or low-carb bread equivalent)
¼ tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic
1/8 tsp. onion powder
¼ chopped parsley
¼ tsp. coarse black pepper
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1½ c. chicken broth
3/4 c. dry white wine (omit if still in Induction)
8 mushrooms, sliced
1 oz. red bell pepper, diced
Dash black pepper
1/8 tsp. xanthan gum or favorite thickener
3 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
5 4″-5″ zucchini (makes about 6 cups “noodles”)
DIRECTIONS: Mix all meat ingredients in a bowl using a fork or your hands. Form twenty-four 1-1½” meatballs. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat (high will cause them to stick badly, but adjust heat as your stove requires). If your beef is very lean, oil the skillet a bit. Not necessary if meat is 20%-30% fat. Brown meatballs on all sides, handling them very gently with tongs as you turn and brown them. Remove balls to a paper plate or platter. Add mushrooms and brown just a bit over medium heat until no longer opaque. Add red bell pepper and wine to skillet and scrape free the brown bits stuck to the pan. This is what makes your gravy taste so good. Add chicken broth, dash pepper. Dust the xanthan gum over the sauce and stir to blend. Lower heat to lowest setting.
Heat a second skillet over medium heat for cooking your zucchini noodles (yes, you’ll have to juggle both skillets here. Keep an eye on the sauce, stirring a time or two as it thickens). Add just a splash of oil to coat the noodle pan. Add zoodles and stir gently to begin cooking and stir-saute just until they lose their opaqueness and begin to soften. Remove from fire for plating.
Dip up about 3/4-1 cup zoodles onto each plate. Top with a light sprinkle of Smoked Gouda shreds so it will begin melting. Place 4 meatballs on top. Spoon on about 1/6 of the sauce (1 nice cooking spoon worth) over each serving. Sprinkle with a bit more of the Gouda to garnish. Serve at once & ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains: (I only cooked 2 servings of noodles for us and we ate 2 servings. Froze the remainder of the meatballs and sauce for two future easy meals.)
451 calories
29 g fat
11.13 g carbs, 3.76 g fiber, 8.37 g NET CARBS
34.3 g protein
863 mg sodium
Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes 
Love smoked gouda with this recipe.
It was quite good, Connie, but the hubs and I agreed the little amount I used was the RIGHT amount. That stuff can be potent. 🙂
I agree. You do not want the cheese to over power the dish.