Description

This Slow Cooker Meatball Dinner is a comforting and easy one-pot meal featuring tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce, accompanied by hearty potatoes and fresh green beans or asparagus. With minimal prep, this dish is perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekends. The meatballs are made with ground meat, almond flour, and herbs, resulting in a delicious and satisfying dinner that can be prepared either in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground meat
1 large egg
3 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons dried basil (or another dried herb)
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 for meatballs and 1 for sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetables

1 pound potatoes or sweet potatoes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds green beans or asparagus

Sauce

28 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Optional (for Instant Pot method)

1 tablespoon oil of your choice (for browning meatballs)

Instructions

Prepare the sauce: Add diced or crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine thoroughly.
Make the meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, 1 large egg, almond flour, 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well with your hands until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Form into 9-12 uniform meatballs.
Add meatballs and potatoes: Place the formed meatballs and chopped potatoes into the slow cooker on top of the sauce.
Cook slowly: Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours, until meatballs and potatoes are tender.
Add vegetables: About 30 minutes before the cooking time ends, layer green beans or asparagus on top of the other ingredients to steam and cook through.
For Instant Pot – Brown meatballs: Select the high sauté setting and heat the oil. Brown the prepared meatballs in batches, cooking each side for 3-5 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
Combine ingredients in Instant Pot: Add sauce ingredients into the Instant Pot and stir well. Add potatoes and browned meatballs, ensuring not to overfill the pot.
Pressure cook meatballs and potatoes: Close the lid, seal the vent, and select manual/pressure cook for 7 minutes on high pressure. Once done, perform a quick pressure release.
Add vegetables and finish cooking: Place the green beans or asparagus on top of the cooked food. Close and seal the Instant Pot again, and cook manually on high pressure for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Perform another quick release after cooking.

Notes

You can use either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes based on your preference.
Substitute green beans with asparagus or other green vegetables as desired.
For a lower-fat option, use lean ground meat like turkey or chicken.
Almond flour adds a gluten-free binder, but you can substitute with breadcrumbs if gluten is not a concern.
Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your slow cooker or Instant Pot model.
The browning step in the Instant Pot enhances flavor but can be skipped for convenience.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes (Slow Cooker) or 15 minutes (Instant Pot total cooking time including browning)
Category: Main Dish
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: slow cooker meatballs, meatball dinner, easy slow cooker recipe, ground meat dinner, healthy meatballs, one pot meal, gluten free meatballs, slow cooked dinner