Italian Meatballs (Halloween Zombie Eyes)

Try our delicious Italian Meatballs with a spooky Halloween twist! Although this dish may look frightening it will be sure to leave you craving more. This recipe meets IDDSI Levels 4-7.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS 1 serving
(3 meatballs)		 6 servings
(18 meatballs)		 12 servings
(36 meatballs)
THICK & EASY® Bulk Pureed Beef #78544 1/3 cup 18 oz (about 2 cups) 1 – 2.25 lb. bag
Onion powder ¼ tsp ½ tsp 1 Tbsp
Garlic powder ¼ tsp 1 ½ tsp 1 Tbsp
Black pepper dash ¼ tsp ½ tsp
Dried Italian seasoning Several dashes 1 tsp 2 tsp
Grated Parmesan cheese ¼ tsp 1 ½ tsp 1 Tbsp
Olive oil Several drops ½ tsp 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper, optional (for
spicier meatball)		 Dash (optional) Dash (optional) 1/8 tsp (optional)
For Eyeballs:
Alfredo sauce, sour cream, white
sauce		 As needed As needed As needed
Black food coloring, gel icing or
dark gravy		 As needed As needed As needed

Directions

HOW TO PREPARE

  1. Thaw THICK & EASY® Bulk Pureed Beef in refrigeration overnight.
  2. Place beef into a mixing bowl. Add seasonings, parmesan cheese and oil and mix thoroughly to combine ingredients.
  3. Place mixture into a pan; cover and heat to 160°F.
  4. Hold for service at 135°F or higher.

To Serve:

  1. Portion into meatballs using a #40 scoop (about 1 oz per meatball; 3 meatballs per serving).
  2. Using a gloved hand or spoon, make a thumbprint sized indentation on top of each meatball.
  3. Fill indentation with alfredo sauce, sour cream, or other white sauce.
  4. Add a small amount of black icing, food coloring or gravy in center of white sauce.
  5. Serve with pureed pasta and thickened red sauce, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 3 oz (3 – 1 oz. meatballs)

Calories: 150

Total Fat: 8 g

Saturated Fat: 3.5 g

Trans Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 30 mg

Sodium: 410 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 3 g

Dietary Fiber: 0 g

Total Sugars: 0 g

Added Sugars: 0 g

Protein: 16 g

Vitamin D: 60 mg (4% DV)

Calcium: 1.6 mg (8% DV)

Iron: 110 mg (2% DV)

Potassium: 0 mg (0% DV)