Italian Vegan Meatballs (using vegan ground beef)

I found a regular recipe for meatballs on Cooking Classy and changed it to vegan and GF and they turned out really well. Everyone in the family liked them which believe me when you're dealing with three kids and a fussy husband that is a rare occurrence indeed! I did one batch baked and one batch fried to see the difference and honestly I preferred the baked ones which surprised me! The were firm but soft, where as the fried ones were crispy. For breadcrumbs I keep all the ends of my GF bread (I use Little Northern Bakehouse brand) and process them and keep them in the freezer. I used 2 Tbls dried mix Italian herbs instead of fresh.

Vegan Meatballs

(makes 24)

Ingredients

1 cups (5.2 oz) GF bread crumbs

1/2 + 2 Tbls cup non-dairy milk, then more if needed

1 lb. vegan ground beef ( I used The Meatless Farm Co.)

1 egg replacer (I used No Egg)

1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion (I used onion powder instead)

1 garlic cloves, minced 

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano

1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup olive oil, only if using the fried method

Mariana Sauce

Pasta of choice

Method

In a large mixing bowl stir together bread crumbs and milk while adding more milk 1 Tbsp at a time to moisten bread fully. Let rest while you prep ingredients (or at least 5 minutes).

To breadcrumb mixture add beef, eggs, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, parmesan and season over top of ingredients evenly with salt and pepper.

Gently toss mixture and break meat up with fingertips until ingredients are evenly mixed.

Shape mixture with greased hands into even size meatballs, about 1 1/4-inches each (or about 38g).

Oven Baked Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees before you begin preparing meatballs.

Spray two dark coated non-stick pans well with non-stick cooking spray (see note 4), or brush with olive oil.

Place formed meatballs on baking sheets, fitting about 20 per each and spacing evenly apart. 

Bake in upper and lower third of oven 10 minutes.

Remove and turn meatballs if browned already on bottom (use a thin metal spatula to scrape from baking sheet). Transfer pans to opposite racks and bake until cooked through, about 8 - 12 minutes longer (should register 165 degrees in center of meatballs).

Stir into warmed marinara sauce. Simmer on low heat if desired for even more tender meatballs (about 10 - 20 minutes, toss occasionally gently).

Pan Fried Stovetop Method

To pan fry meatballs pour 3/4 cup olive oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat over medium heat.

Cook meatballs in 3 batches (so they aren't overcrowded) until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 6 minutes. Then turn to opposite side and cook opposite side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Transfer meatballs to warmed marinara sauce (see note 5) in a large pot, submerge in sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat until meatballs are 165 degrees in center, gently tossing meatballs occasionally, about 15 - 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are frying/baking make the pasta and the marinara sauce. 

Toddler loves them with no sauce...

Inside fried meatball...