Turkey Meatballs in Vegetable Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti Squash [Instant Pot]

by | Nov 20, 2018 | Batch Cooking/Meal Prep, Lunch/Dinner, Uncategorized

These instant pot turkey meatballs in tomato sauce with vegetables are a quick, one pot meal. They are gluten-free and low carb. I made this recipe during my Sunday meal prep.. If you are feeding your family, this can certainly be a quick weeknight dinner and will become a family favourite!. (*Note they are gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats)

I originally planned to used the shredded zucchini to boost the veggie content of the sauce, but I used part of it for the turkey meatballs and it turned out great. These meatballs are so simple to make – just mix together oatmeal, ground turkey, shredded zucchini and spices.

It is a truly vegetable packed sauce!

Hope you enjoy it!

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Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Sauce [Instant Pot]

Vegetable-loaded big batch recipe made in the instant pot. 

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-large spaghetti squash
  • 1 cup water

Turkey Meatballs

  • 1+ 1/4 lb ground turkey
  • 1/4 zucchini, shredded
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Veggie-Loaded Tomato Sauce

  • 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 3/4 zucchini, shredded use remainder from meat balls
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tsp rosemary
  • 1-2 tsp oregano
  • 1-2 tsp basil
  • 1-2 tsp parsley
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1-2 tbsp oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Spaghetti Squash

  1. Wash the squash and slice in half length wise. Scoop out the seeds.

  2. Place steamer basket in the instant pot. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom. Place the squash on the steamer basket. Put on the lid and close the pressure valve.

  3. Turn on the instant pot in the manual setting and set to 5 minutes cooking time on high pressure. When done, let pressure slow release naturally for 3 minutes, then use quick release for the remainder of time. 

  4. Use tongs to remove the squash and let cool. Once cool. Use a fork to remove the strands of squash that will resemble spaghetti. 

Turkey Meatballs

  1. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the turkey meatballs. Use your hand to form into even sized balls, about 18. Set aside.

Tomato Sauce + Meat Balls

  1. Turn instant pot to the saute setting. Add the oil and make sure it coats the bottom of the instant pot well.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for a 1-2 minutes until soft. Be careful not to burn anything to the bottom of the instant pot. Turn off.

  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, water and the rest of the vegetables and stir. Add the spices, salt and pepper and stir well. 

  3. Place the meatballs on top and then gently mix to cover the meatballs with the sauce. 

  4. Close the lid and close the pressure valve. Using the manual setting, cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Let steam release naturally for 10 minutes the use quick release if there is still steam to escape. 

Assembly

  1. Gather 4-5 Tupperware containers. Add 1-1.5 cups cooked spaghetti squash and 3-4 meatballs into each container. Divide up the sauce evenly into each container. Place in the fridge for up to a week. 

Andrea Docherty, RD