Prepping for a super-busy-Saturday I needed to have a dinner ready to go when we got home. It was a cold, windy November day and we had a few snow flakes.

My daughter LOVES meatballs and requested spaghetti and meat balls for dinner.

I was SHORT on time and looking for a quick fix I headed to 2 grocery stores looking for a frozen meat ball option that would save me time. All the meatballs I found had hydrolyzed or isolated soy protein!!! WHAT??? Meat balls are made of M-E-A-T, why do you need to add a chemically altered soy protein to it?

Disgusted, but determined to get my girl her meat balls, I grabbed a pound of organic ground turkey and a pound of grass-fed ground beef and headed home.

The recipe came together off the top of my head by grabbing ingredients I had in the pantry and refrigerator that I thought should go in a meatball. I used hemp seeds in place of bread crumbs, it’s what I had on hand! In all honesty, I’m amazed they came out so well! I know my way around the produce section – I can roast, saute, broil, grill and turn just about any vegetable in to a salad. But I’m not much of a beef-girl.

I needed these to cook QUICK! We had limited time between my early morning clients and the day-full of basket ball games started. Once assembled, the cooking is pretty hands free in the Instant Pot. I cooked on high pressure manual setting for 12 minutes, with 10 minute natural pressure release. Then switched the Instant Pot to slow cook mode and set on low for 6 hours.

The result was amazing! So flavorful! My daughter had them again for lunch the next day and took to school for lunch in a thermos today.

Instant Pot Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c shelled Hemp Seeds
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 t dry oregano
• 1 t dry basil
• 1 t onion powder
• 2 T crushed garlic
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 2 24 oz jars of tomato sauce or marinara
• ~2 c of water

1. Combine all ingredients except for sauce and water. Form into ~2T balls.
2. Pour sauce and water into Instant Pot. Set to HIGH Saute setting and bring to a boil.
3. Gently lower the balls into the boiling sauce. Carefully stack to avoid crushing.
4. Turn to Manual and place the lid on the Instant pot and seal. Manual, high pressure, cook for 12 minutes. Allow to naturally pressure release for 10 minutes.
5. Enjoy or set to low slow cook until ready to serve.
6. MADE 36 meat balls. AMAZE-BALLS!