Monday, January 19, 2009

Breakfast Meatballs

As I've said before I'm not one to eat breakfast. I don't wake up hungry and the thought of food nauseates me most days until about noon. However, as a diabetic I really need to eat something when I get up. It helps get my metabolism revved for the day and it helps control the Dawn Phenomenon and Somogyi Effect, both of which give me grief. The problem is: what to eat?

Eggs don't normally appeal to me in the morning and toast, waffles, and pancakes are too high in carbohydrates for me. Now and then I'll eat non-breakfast foods such as leftovers from the night before or a turkey dog and some cheese. So, my standards on the days I manage to choke down breakfast are egg, sausage and cheese "muffins" or two or three of these delicious breakfast meatballs, each of which contains less than 1 gram of carbohydrate.

Breakfast Meatballs

1 pound turkey sausage (I use homemade but store bought is great, too)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons onion, minced (reconstituted dried onion works well)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (omit if you want mild meatballs)
5 ounces cheese, grated (use whatever kind you prefer - I like to mix cheddar, swiss, and a little asiago)
salt, pepper, and other spices to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients spices in a bowl and mix well. Roll meat mixture into bite sized balls and bake until done, 15 to 20 minutes.

These freeze well so after baking them I put them in the fridge to cool then put a few in a freezer bag or plastic container, label with the date and contents, and freeze. When ready to use them, I just heat them in a 350 oven for about 25 minutes or microwave them on high for about 4 minutes.

These are a great take along snack and as a bonus, most kids love them. Uncooked, this also makes a nice stuffing for peppers, squash, mushrooms, etc. Just fill your vegetables with the meat mixture and bake until done.

2 comments:

Meredith said...

THANK YOU!

My husband's metformin dosage has changed, and he couldn't figure out why his BG was so high in the mornings. He was compensating by skipping breakfast--thanks to you, we not only know what's going on but a great recipe to halt it.

: )

CookinsForMe said...

Meredith, I'm glad you think the recipe might help. Before bed, I eat a little protein, usually in the form of cheese or occasionally a slice of deli meat and cheese and that seems to help, also.

The DP and SE really can be difficult to manage so if your husband is struggling with one or both of those, he has my empathy!