Ever Evolving Food Blog

Hello Everyone! I have had this blog for years now, and as my personal life has changed, so have my tastes and eating habits...for the better!! I am now a fully plant-based eater, so my newer recipes will reflect this lifestyle and way of eating.

All of my old recipes will remain on my food blog, of course, so there will be a mixture of the old and the new for everyone to look through and choose. You can always play around with any recipe out there and make it your own, whether it's plant-based or not. There are always other options!
Thanks SO much for following! Happy Eating!

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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Gnocchi-Meatball Casserole

It's wintertime and it's cold outside.  We all like to have something nice and hearty to warm up to when we come home in the evening.  This recipe came out of Diabetic Living magazine, so it's low in sugars and fat.  It has 217 calories per serving (3/4 cup) and 15 g of protein!  I've never cooked with gnocchi before, so this will be a first for me. :)

Ingredients:
1 (16oz) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
1 1/2 cups light or no-sugar-added tomato-based sauce
12 oz extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp egg substitute (or 1 egg lightly beaten)
2 Tbsp dry whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 tsp crushed, dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed, dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (2 oz)

Directions
Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular basking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in pasta sauce.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, the finely chopped onion, egg, bread crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and fennel seeds.  Shape mixture into 24 equal-sized balls.

In a large skillet heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and sliced onion.  Cook about 7 minutes or until tender.  Add to gnocchi and pasta sauce.

In the same large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Cook the meatballs, half at a time, about 6 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally.  Transfer meatballs to bowl wit gnocchi and vegetables.  Stir gently to combine.

Pour gnocchi mixture into prepared baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top and back uncovered about 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serves 8.