In Honor of National Bacon Day…
We present our loaded, keto cheesy pesto meatballs in bacon!
This recipe was just waiting to happen. Mozzarella and meatballs dipped in marinara sauce sounds heavenly and has been done time and time again. But add in some pesto and you’ve got a completely different flavor- something more earthy and herby. You still have the texture of the melted cheese adding moisture to the meatballs, but with extra flavor and yummy fat from the pesto. Got fresh basil? Good! Our 5 Minute Pesto recipe will get your the best pesto you’ve ever had! Don’t have fresh basil? Growing it is cheap and fun! But a lot of groceries and supermarkets sell fresh herbs as well (not to mention ready to eat pesto!).
Now add crispy, juicy bacon around those meatballs and you’ve got so much flavor packed into one bite! These stuffed meatballs aren’t for the light-hearted. Each one is packed with cheese, fat, meat and more meat! You can easily have 2 meatballs and a side dish and end up full. Our recipe makes 10 stuffed meatballs which can be shared among 2-4 people, depending on their hunger, of course.
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Check out all our bacon filled recipes! Everything’s better wrapped in bacon!
Now onto to the stuffed meatballs!
| Servings: meatballs |
- 1 lb ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 2 tbsp almond flour
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp pesto
- 10 strips bacon
- If you don't have pesto, make our 5 minute pesto recipe before you begin!
- Prepare the pesto and melt 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese and combine with 1 egg to help it stick.
- Season your ground beef and add 2 tbsp of almond flour help prevent the meatballs from coming apart while cooking. Mix the beef very well by hand to combine all the seasoning.
- Grab a chunk of ground beef and shape it into a cup in your cupped hand.
- Then place about 1/2 tsp of cheese and 1/2 tsp of pesto into the center of your cupped beef. Close it up by pinching the open ends of the beef cup, Pull and push extra ground beef from the sides of the meatball onto the open end to seal it up.
- Place the ground beef sealed side side down to remember which end of the meatball to sear first.
- On an oiled pan on high heat, place your meatballs sealed side down and let them cook for about 2 minutes, undisturbed. With a pair of tongs, gently lift and flip each one of them and let them cook another 2 minutes.
- Start preheating your oven to 350°F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare your bacon by cutting it in half.
- Turn the heat off and place a meatball onto one half bacon and wrap the bacon over it, overlapping the ends. Then place another half bacon on top of those ends and wrap it around the opposite way, creating an "x" on top.
- Place the bacon covered meatballs onto a greased baking sheet with the outer ends of the bacon strips facing down.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, followed by a 5 minute broil. Watch the bacon carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Serve immediately with some marinara sauce! Enjoy!
Loved this recipe? Let us know! Something didn’t quite turn out right? Ask us in the comments below or contact us– we respond to comments every day and would love to hear from you and help you out! And check out all our keto recipes to learn to make more delicious and healthy meals!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
You’ll Love Our Dinner in Five Cookbook!
We believe that the key to success is simplicity and satisfaction with your diet. That’s why we created Dinner in Five – 30 low carb lunch recipes all using just 5 ingredients and 5 net carbs or fewer!
Enjoy unconventional burgers, heavenly steaks, gourmet-style seafood, mouthwatering sauces, sides and much more every day of the month.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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This should work as a meatloaf right? I had the meatballs last night and they were absolutely delicious. Thanks!
I think it would work well as a meatloaf, let us know how it goes or send us a pic!
Wrap it in bacon and you make a fan outta me. GREG
You and me both, Greg!