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Close-up of baked spinach basil meatballs made with lean ground beef and cottage cheese
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Spinach Basil Meatballs

These spinach basil meatballs are made with lean ground beef, cottage cheese, fresh spinach, and basil, with 27 grams of protein per serving and no breadcrumbs. An easy, high-protein bite for bowls, pitas, and pizzas!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings (about 4 meatballs each)
Calories: 173kcal

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup red onion 30g
  • ½ cup low fat cottage cheese 120g
  • 2 cups spinach 40g
  • ½ cup basil leaves 10g
  • 3 frozen garlic cubes or minced cloves (15g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 lb 96% lean ground beef 454g

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Add everything but the ground beef to a food processor or blender and process into a chunky paste.
  • Add the mixture to a large bowl with the ground beef and combine well. Your hands are the most efficient if you’re up for it! It’ll be green. It’ll be ugly! Don’t make these if that will ruin it for you. Ha.
  • Scoop the mixture into balls using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop and line them up on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes to get some color on top. Pour off any excess liquid before your kids see it!
  • Enjoy these in meatball sandwiches, on pizzas or flatbreads, in pitas, or in bowls. Or as the easiest protein bite when you need one!

Notes

GF/DF: These are gluten-free, but to keep them dairy-free, you could swap in a plant-based yogurt or ricotta for the cottage cheese.
Search MyFitnessPal, MacrosFirst, or Lose It: Lillie Eats and Tells Spinach Basil Meatballs

Nutrition

Serving: 112g | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 0.3g