Description
Our easy Meatballs and Dumplings is a cozy dish that is major comfort food! Fluffy dumplings with amazing meatballs in a tomato sauce!
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 (6oz) cans tomato paste (and 3 cans of water)
- 1 (14.5oz) can petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons sugar (coconut sugar works)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsweetened/unflavored almond milk (regular milk works too)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Meatballs: Take ground beef and form approx. 22 meatballs that are 2 tablespoons each. Recommend using a cookie dough scoop to keep them uniform. Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat, place the meatballs in the hot pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook meatballs, turning periodically until almost cooked through (they will finish cooking later). Only drain off some of the grease, ensuring there is approx. 2-4 tablespoons remaining in the skillet (this adds so much flavor!).
- Tomato Sauce: In a large bowl, combine all the tomato sauce ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour tomato sauce mixture over meatballs and use a wooden spoon to scrape off all of the meat from the bottom of the pan. Stir to combine. Let simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumpling mixture.
- Dumplings: Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine all Dumpling ingredients listed above (note: mixture should be moist – if you feels it is too dry, add additional almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is wet add 1 tablespoon flour at a time). Take a large spoon and drop approx. 2 tablespoons of Dumpling dough on top of the meatballs (try to set them on top of the meatballs, to the best of your ability).
- Simmer: Cover and simmer for 15-22 minutes. You will know the dumplings are done when you lift the lid and carefully touch the dumplings – they should be firm (not hard, just firm). If your dumplings are really big, then the cook time will most likely be closer to 20-25 minutes. Test periodically to check firmness and continue cooking in 5 minute increments until they are firm. (Note: if after 20-25 mins. they still feel a bit sticky – just take the cover off and let them simmer a few minutes uncovered and the outside will dry a bit).
- Serve: Enjoy immediately and sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish.
Notes
- Milk: we used almond milk, but any plant-based milk would work to keep it dairy free or sub with regular milk.
- Paleo/Gluten Free: we also have a Paleo & Gluten Free Dumplings and Meatballs recipe, if that’s more your thing.
- Seasoning Meatballs: I have made this about 100 times in my life and I never add seasoning into the meatballs – I just season them once they are in the skillet. If you really want to, feel free to add some salt and pepper into the ground beef before making meatballs – totally up to you.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 493
- Sugar: 10.6 g
- Sodium: 1039.7 mg
- Fat: 15.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.8 g
- Protein: 40.5 g
- Cholesterol: 90.4 mg