This family-friendly dish of meatballs and sauce served over zoodles is one that even picky eaters will love. Partially baking the meatballs before placing them in the slow cooker helps them hold their shape and renders off some of the not-so-pretty protein bits that slough off raw meat during moist cooking.
Serves 4
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes
Slow Cook: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
Total: 6 hours 40 minutes
For the Meatballs
1 package (19 ounces) ground turkey breast
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup minced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 teaspoons tapioca flour
1 tablespoon Whole30-compliant Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the Sauce
1 can (28 ounces) Whole30-compliant crushed tomatoes
½ cup grated carrots
¼ cup grated onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Whole30-compliant Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
To Serve
2 packages (10.7 ounces each) zucchini noodles or 3 medium zucchini, spiralized
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, minced onion, mushrooms, and garlic. In a small bowl, stir together the tapioca flour, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add the tapioca mixture and the egg to the turkey mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Let sit 5 minutes. Shape into 16 meatballs. Place on a foil-lined baking pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Make the sauce: In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine 1 cup water with the tomatoes, carrots, grated onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Add the meatballs.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. Discard the bay leaf.
Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini noodles according to the package directions. Divide the noodles among four serving bowls. Top each with four meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.