I’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but I’ve been working hard to find a way to get more fiber and protein in my kids. They love spaghetti and meatballs, so I figured why not try to make the meatballs fit my goals for their nutrition? Beef and Lentil Meatballs have now been a huge hit with my boys for quite some time! They are so versatile. I’ve served them with a variety of sauces, including traditional spaghetti and meatballs and they are a hit every time! (Hint: you can use the sauce portion of my spaghetti recipe for easy spaghetti and meatballs! Just leave out the onion and hamburger, instead letting the meatballs warm in the sauce).
I love to keep a few batches of Beef and Lentil Meatballs in the freezer for those dinner emergency nights. They’ve spared us from eating out more than once. I love having meals like that on hand!
To start the prep for Beef and Lentil Meatballs, cook the green lentils. From there, it’s super easy! Let the lentils cool, then add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well combined and the lentils are broken up some.
Form into meatballs a little smaller than a golf ball.
Then, cover the bottom of a skillet with oil, heat over medium high heat, and cook the meatballs, rolling around to cook evenly, until all sides are browned. Drain on a paper towel, let cool, then freeze individually on a baking sheet. Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. This recipe makes about 24 meatballs, so I typically package into 12 meatballs per package.
Beef and Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 cup green lentils, cooked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
Be sure the lentils have cooled. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to combine well and blend in the lentils. (You can also use your hands to mix well, but you will have larger lentil pieces in the meatballs). Form into balls slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball. You should get 20-24 meatballs.
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs. Roll around to brown evenly on the outside and cook until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Repeat with remaining meatballs in batches, if needed.