Fit Mom Of Three's own Clean Eating Meatballs And Sauce

Okay- I will start off by saying that after YEARS of trying, I have finally mastered the Italian classic of Meatballs and sauce!! My husband is a huge Italian food fan so his approval finally meant this batch made the cut! This sauce with meatballs is delicious, made with only clean, whole, organic foods and my family loves it! Kid approved too- which is always a tackle in this house! This batch of meatballs and sauce feeds us for two nights and I still have leftover sauce to freeze. I usually take it out of the freezer for my homemade whole wheat pizza and cauliflower crust pizza. You really get a great bang for your buck with this meal! The first night of the batch is usually had with brown rice penne pasta and the second night I make them meatball parm hero's on whole wheat rolls. I choose to have the meatballs alone with a nice mixed green salad on the side loaded with tons of fresh raw veggies and my homemade balsamic dressing.

Meatballs:
2 pound of ground sirloin- hormone and antibiotic free
2 organic free rage brown eggs (large)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/2 cup panko whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line baking sheet with parchment paper- I like to spray with my misto olive oil sprayer. Spray generously. Set aside.
Mix all ingredients well in large bowl
Roll into medium balls ( I make them small to medium).
Place each meatball onto prepared baking sheet.
Once all meatballs are on sheet I spray each meatball with olive oil to create a nice outer layer.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Remove from oven and place meatballs in pot of already prepared and simmering sauce- recipe follows this.
I let simmer for at least 1-1/2 hours on low setting.


Classic Italian Sauce:
Ingredients:
3 heaping tablespoons minced garlic ( you can lesson amount if your not a huge garlic fan as I am)
1 29oz can tomato puree -organic
1 29oz can crushed tomato with basil
2 15oz cans organic diced tomatoes
1 15oz can organic tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes to add to each portion separately if desired

Directions:
Add all ingredients into large sauce pan
Simmer on low covered for 1 1/2 hours
Serve with Fit Mom Of Three's Classic Italian Meatballs

Recipe Courtesy of Christine Scudder- Fit Mom Of Three