Is there anything that bacon doesn’t make better? That’s a big “NO” in my book.
REAL TALK: the only reason I don’t put bacon in more recipes is because I’m too lazy to cook it.
Anyone else have this problem?
Do yourself a favor and just go make some bacon. You’re going to want it for these Smokey Bacon Meatballs! They are easy to make and offer up a subtle change from the typical meatball flavor. They are tender and moist, along with being seasoned just right!
They’re pretty addicting, so you may want to double the batch!
I use good quality grass fed and grass finished ground beef from Strauss Brands meat. If you have never heard of them, check them out! They offer meat BORN & RAISED in the USA! They’re having a promotion through the end of this month (April 30, 2018). It’s goal is to educate consumers on their role in restoring our ecosystem and committing to environmental stewardship. All you have to do is pledge your support of America’s farmers who manage their land sustainably and produce grass fed and grass finished beef – in return, you’ll receive a special offer for 5 pounds of ground beef for $25 + FREE SHIPPING through Strauss. This is an AMAZING deal! Check out the 1 LB Challenge for more information! (NOT SPONSORED: I just love this meat and want to spread the goodness and it’s a great cause to support!)
So, do yourself another favor, and grab some of their ground beef! It has phenomenal flavor and there’s never any fat to drain off of the meat. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, count your blessings that you’ve never had to experience cooking with terrible quality, fatty (not the good kind) meats. Quality is so important with the meat that you eat!
1tspLiquid smokeoptional, but recommended (it's technically not paleo)
1/4cupNutpodssub whatever heavy cream variety you like (you can also use milk)
Instructions
In a saucepan over medium heat, caramelize the onions in oil for about 8-10 minutes or until browned slightly. Remove from heat to cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, gently combine ground beef, almond flour, seasonings, liquid smoke, egg, and nut pods/cream.
Stir in cooked bacon pieces and onions.
With a tablespoon or a melon ball scooper, portion out meatballs onto a baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up!) in heaping tablespoons.
Bake for 15 minutes or until browned and cooked through the center.
The name says it all: Hamburger Helper. I don’t know about you, but HH will always have a special place in my heart! Who’s with me?
This southwest take on the classic is total comfort food – the best kind of food, in my opinion. Give me some pasta, a creamy sauce, some ground beef and I am one happy girl!
This Southwest Hamburger Helper uses my Pepperjack Cheese Sauce, pasta, ground beef, and a few seasonings. It’s almost as simple as the original!
You can use any pasta you like – I like to use Banza Chickpea Rotini for this recipe. It’s high in protein and fiber with super-clean ingredients. Chickpeas aren’t paleo, but we do well with them – to each his own! Life’s all about balance. I also love Bellabondanza’s Green Bean fettuccine – it’s DELICIOUS, low carb, and packed with protein too. Do what works for you!
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the directions.
While the pasta is cooking, brown the meat over medium heat. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and add it to your ground meat. (If you used good quality beef, you shouldn't have any fat to drain!)
Add the cheese sauce and seasonings to the pasta.
Combine ingredients and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce is heated through and thickened slightly.
Recipe Notes
* Pepperjack Cheese Sauce recipe - follow the directions to make it into a pasta sauce. You'll need 2 1/2 cups of broth. You can use the entire recipe or only half, depending on how saucy you like it. The pasta may absorb a decent amount of it, as well.
On any given day, if you ask me if I want tacos or nachos, 9 times out of 10, I will say YES. This fajita-inspired, taco meat is perfectly seasoned with spices you probably already have in your cabinet. Therefore, no overly-salted, seasoning packet needed here! This meat combines all of the flavors of fajitas in an easy-to-cook, foolproof dish!
It goes great on tortillas or piled up on chips with tons of toppings…including my dairy free Pepperjack Cheese Sauce. I think I make a batch of that almost every week! Ready to dig in, yet? Here’s the recipe!
In a nonstick sauce pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, sauté peppers and onions in oil for 3-4 minutes or until they have just began to soften.
Add your ground beef to the skillet and begin to break it up.
Add all of your seasonings to the ground beef and continue to break it up while it cooks.
After the beef has browned on all the edges, (this should take about 5 minutes), add the water.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked away.
And...you're done!
Recipe Notes
*If you are using the cheapest ground beef for this, depending on the brand, you will often find that the fat content is higher, therefore, there will be more grease. Depending on how much fat is left after browning, reduce the water to 1/4 cup, first and see if you need more liquid after that.
My ground beef ratio is usually 85% lean/15% fat and I never have to drain excess. Personally, it's worth the extra dollar or two to buy quality meat. Just keep that in mind!
In a deep, sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of ghee/oil and chopped green onions. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.
In the same pan, over medium heat, add all of BBQ sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. Reduce the heat to low and cover while you prepare the meatballs.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining meatball ingredients along with the cooled green onions.
To the BBQ sauce, drop 2 tbsp size balls into the mixture until one layer has formed. It's ok if the meatballs are touching slightly, just DO NOT overcrowd the pan or try to stir them around just yet.
Increase heat to medium, cover, cook for 3-5 minutes.
Remove cover and shake the pan slightly. Gently flip each meatball. If you find that you do not have enough liquid in the pan, feel free to add about 3-4 tbsp of water.
On top of the first layer of meatballs, add another layer of the meat mixture, in 2 tbsp size balls. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes - shaking the pan every few minutes to slightly move the meatballs around. Repeat until you have used up all of the meat.
After 10 minutes, uncover the pan and gently flip the meatballs around, moving the ones from the bottom to the top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until you're ready to serve!
Serve these on top of cauliflower rice or as bite-sized appetizers!
