These Sage and Ricotta Baked Meatballs are so easy and so delicious, it’s hard to believe that each meatball is just 1 Point each (a serving of 3 is just 3 Points). The sage gives these meatballs a nice, seasonal flavor, and the ricotta helps to keep them tender and moist, which is key when using very low fat meat. I want to try this recipe with ground turkey too, but I need to make a few enhancements to keep them from being dry. But for now, the extra lean beef is a fantastic option. You can serve these as a main course or as a Weight Watchers holiday appetizer recipe too! Perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Any way you choose to eat them, these Sage and Ricotta Meatballs are a delicious meal option in a season filled with turkey. Enjoy!
Sage and Ricotta Baked Meatballs
These easy and flavorful meatballs make a great holiday party appetizer. The sage gives it such an amazing seasonal flavor, and the ricotta helps keep them moist.
Ingredients
- 1lb extra lean ground beef (96% lean /4% fat)
- 1/2 cup fat free ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups corn flakes, crush well or Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with non-fat cooking spray.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients, except for the cornflakes, and using hands, work to mix ground beef with the ricotta and the seasonings.
- Form into 24 1” meatballs.
- In a separate shallow bowl, add cornflakes or panko, and roll each meatball, thoroughly coating. Then, lightly mist the meatballs with an olive oil mister, or non-fat cooking spray.
- Transfer meatballs to baking sheet, and roast in oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein
Number of servings (yield): 8
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 3 meatballs
Each serving = 3 Points
PER SERVING: 125 calories; 3g fat; 8g carbohydrates; 15g protein; 0g fiber
2 Comments
Just made these today. Very good. I used ground turkey though and eggbeaters instead of an egg. I used panko bread crumbs instead of cornflakes. They were not dry at all. I had to put the mix into the freezer before making meatballs so I could handle it better. I even forgot to spray the meatballs before cooking but they were still delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Had these for dinner tonight and they were a big hit! My husband gave them a big thumbs up and even made some recommendations for “next time.” Like some marinara on the side. I was a little skeptical of these at first but am so glad I tried them. This is a keeper. :)