Vietnamese Meatballs & Vermicelli Squash Noodles

These meatballs are perfect for a busy weeknight meal. You’ll have lots of hands-free time to play with the kids or catch up with friends while the meatballs and the golden delicious squash noodles are getting ready for you in the oven. Be sure to rotate the meatballs halfway through in the oven so that your meatballs will be an even golden brown color. These meatballs are also a perfect freezer meal—just let them cool down and pop them in containers or freezer bags for future use!

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

For the Squash: PREHEAT the oven to 400°F – 420°F. Slice the squash in half from stem to tail. Be careful not to cut yourself. Work slowly. Scoop out the seeds. Season with a little salt. Place the squash in a roasting pan. Cut -side down with a little water just enough to cover the bottom.

Step 2

BAKE the squash for 30-45 minutes. Smaller squash will cook more quickly than larger squash so check after 30 minutes. The squash is ready when tender and you can easily pierce the flesh all the way to the peel with a fork. Once it’s ready, scrape out the squash with a fork gently in the same direction as the strands.

Step 3

For the Meatballs: USE a food processor to chop 3 garlic cloves, 2 large diced shallots, and 5 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms until fine.

Step 4

MIX them with ground meat with ½ tsp sea salt, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and olive oil. Combine well and form about 20 meatballs (about 2 ½ Tbsp filling/ meatball) on a large non-stick baking sheet pan.

Step 5

SEND meatballs and squash to the oven (400 – 420°F). Squash will take slightly longer time to bake than the meatballs so here’s what you can do to bake them at the same time:

Step 6

BAKE the meatballs for about 25 minutes total – 1st side: 15 minutes. Then, flip them and bake the flip side for an additional 8-10 minutes. Once the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from the oven and ready to serve.

Step 7

To Serve: COMBINE ingredients under “Dressing”.

Step 8

DRIZZLE 1-2 Tbsp dressing over squash noodles and meatballs. Sprinkle chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, basil) and watch them gone quickly than you think!