These Cottage Cheese Meatballs are juicy, tender, and packed with protein! Blended cottage cheese and zucchini keep them incredibly moist while baking, making this an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
About This Recipe
These Cottage Cheese Meatballs are one of those recipes that proves healthy food can still be incredibly comforting. Blending cottage cheese with zucchini creates a creamy mixture that keeps the meatballs unbelievably tender while adding extra protein and sneaking in a serving of vegetables (aka the kids will never know they’re in there)!
These meatballs are perfect served over pasta, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes, or simply with crusty bread and a side salad. They’re easy enough for busy weeknights, meal prep beautifully, and make delicious leftovers all week long.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Low-fat cottage cheese: The secret ingredient for a creamy texture and added protein. Dairy-free ricotta can be used as a substitute if needed.
- Zucchini: The zucchini adds moisture to the meatballs and is a great way to sneak in vegetables without affecting the flavor.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, garlic powder, oregano, and fennel seeds give these meatballs that classic Italian flavor. If you’re not a fan of fennel, you can leave it out, but it adds that signature “Italian sausage” taste.
- Ground beef: I used 96% lean ground beef to keep these macro-friendly, but lean ground turkey or ground chicken also work well.
- Marinara sauce: I used Trader Joe’s Organic Marinara in this recipe, which has the following macros for a ½ cup (113g) serving: 50 calories, 2g fat, 8g carbs, and 1g protein. Feel free to use your favorite marinara.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan melts beautifully and creates a cheesy, golden topping. Pecorino Romano or your favorite Italian cheese blend would also be delicious.
Dietary Adaptations
GF/DF: It is naturally gluten-free, but I haven’t made this dish dairy-free, but you could use dairy-free ricotta in place of the cottage cheese, and DF parmesan on top!
How To Make
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the cottage cheese, chopped zucchini, and seasonings to the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended mixture to a bowl along with the ground beef and mix until combined. Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop into balls and place in a shallow, greased baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and turn your broiler to low. Carefully pour off any excess liquid and pour jarred marinara over the meatballs. Sprinkle the tops with parmesan and broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is browning and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- Enjoy over pasta or your favorite low-carb base, or with a big green salad and some bread to sop up the sauce!
How To Store
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or warm them gently on the stovetop until heated through.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked meatballs (with or without the sauce) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overmix the meat: Mix just until everything is combined to keep the meatballs tender.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth: This helps it incorporate seamlessly into the meat mixture.
- Drain excess liquid after baking: Lean beef and zucchini naturally release moisture, so pouring it off before adding the sauce keeps the marinara rich instead of watery.
- Use freshly grated parmesan: It melts much better than the pre-shredded variety.
For More Delicious Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Butternut Skillet Lasagna
- Ground Beef and Veggie Shells
- Italian Pasta Soup
- Instant Pot Pork Ragu
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi Dinner
- Skinny Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Cottage Cheese Spaghetti Squash Marinara
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Cottage Cheese Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese 120g
- 1 cup zucchini roughly chopped (150g)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 lb 96% lean ground beef 454g
- 28 oz jar of marinara 790g
- 1 oz parmesan cheese 28g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Add the cottage cheese, chopped zucchini, and seasonings to the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended mixture to a bowl along with the ground beef and mix until combined. Using 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop into balls and place in a shallow, greased baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and turn your broiler to low. Carefully pour off any excess liquid and pour jarred marinara over the meatballs. Sprinkle the tops with parmesan and broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is browning and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- Enjoy over pasta or your favorite low-carb base, or with a big green salad and some bread to sop up the sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
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