Sheet Pan Meatballs with Potatoes and Zucchini (made without onion and garlic) make the perfect lunch when you are short on time. This allium-free sheet pan meal is gallbladder diet friendly, Low FODMAP, and gentle on sensitive digestion, which makes it a great choice for GERD diet.
The idea for this recipe came to me on a warm but hectic summer day while I was in university, buried in my master’s thesis and juggling endless edits. All I wanted was something simple, delicious, and comforting that did not take much effort. When my stomach started rumbling, I felt like eating meatballs, roasted potatoes, and zucchini. These are all foods I love and the inspiration for this meal. That lunch was so flavourful and delicious that it quickly became one of my go-to recipes. The best part is that the oven does all the work, so you have time to relax while everything bakes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Table of contents
Ingredients
Ingredients for the meatballs:
- ground beef: instead of ground beef, choose your favorite ground meat. This meal works with ground turkey and ground chicken too
- potatoes
- zucchini
- egg
- seltzer water
- plain breadcrumbs: if you are following low FODMAP diet, you can substitute plain breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs
- parsley flakes
- ground rosemary
- salt and pepper
- cooking oil: choose the one you use
Subscribe now and receive once a week my latest recipes without onion, garlic and other alliums
I'll never send you spam and you can unsubscribe anytime
Equipment that are needed
- 2 medium size bowls
- Small bowl
- Chefs knife
- Cutting board
- Spoon
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
How to make sheet pan meatballs and potatoes with zucchini
How to prepare sheet pan meatballs?
Place ground beef in a bowl. Then add egg, salt, pepper, ground rosemary, and parsley flakes. Mix it with hands or spoon until ground meat is combined with egg, salt, pepper, ground rosemary, and parsley flakes.
After you combine the ground meat with egg and spices, add seltzer water or any other carbonated water. It will make meatballs airy, and soft. Carbonated water really makes meatballs even tastier!
When you finish mixing ground meat with seltzer water, add breadcrumbs. Mix it until it all combines together. Set it aside while you are preparing the vegetables.
Firstly, wash potatoes and zucchini. Potato skin is nutritious and very healthy. It also gives more flavor to the meal. Zucchini shouldn’t be peeled (unless it was sitting in your refrigerator for a long time like 2 weeks). Zucchini which is sitting for a longer time in the refrigerator can have a bitter taste. To remove that taste, just peel the zucchini. If you bought zucchini fresh, then do not peel it.
After you wash the potatoes and zucchini, dry them with a kitchen towel.
How to prepare sheet pan potatoes?
First start with cutting potatoes. Wash it and dry it with a kitchen towel. Do not peel potatoes!
Place potatoes on the cutting board and with the chef’s knife cut potatoes into ½ inch slices.
In case you have a very thick potato, you can first cut the potato vertically, and then cut it into ½-inch slices.
After you cut all the potatoes, it is time to cut zucchini.
Place zucchini on the cutting board, and with the chef’s knife, cut zucchini into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer it to the bowl where is the cut potato.
How to make the seasoning?
In a small bowl, mix: salt, ground rosemary, parsley flakes, and then pour it over potato and zucchini. Dry rub the mixture on the potato and zucchini slices. After you rub the spice evenly drizzle oil on the potato and zucchini. Mix it evenly.
Why do you need oil?
Oil is important for roasting potatoes because it will make roasted potatoes juicy and crunchy. In a case that you don’t add oil or some other grease (like butter) to a potato that is roasted in the oven, it will have a rubbery texture, will be dry, and will not be tasty.
On the baking tray place parchment paper, and on the parchment paper place potato slices and zucchini slices. Take the meatball mixture, shape the meatballs (they should be big like your palm), and put the meatballs on the top of the potato. Bake it in the oven until the meatballs get a nice golden brown color, and the potato has a pale brown color.
Tips and tricks
- Add enough salt to the potato. Potato loves salt.
- Cut the potatoes into large, even chunks (slices or cubes) so they bake evenly and finish at the same time.
- Do not cut zucchini into too thin chunks (slices or cubes) because they will burn, and it will not be tasty.
- Add enough oil so the potatoes turn out juicy and crispy. If you skip the oil, the potatoes will be dry, rubbery, and not very tasty. Be careful not to add too much oil, it only needs to lightly coat the potatoes.
How to know if the sheet pan meatballs and potatoes with zucchini is done?
- Meatballs
The meatballs should be golden brown. When you poke them with a skewer, the juices should run clear. You can also cut one open, and if there is no pink meat inside, it’s ready. Another way to check is with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F (75°C). - Potatoes
They should have a light golden brown color, be crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. - Zucchini
They should have a light golden brown color and be fork-tender.
How to Store Sheet Pan Meatballs and Potatoes with Zucchini?
Refrigerator:
Store the no onion sheet pan meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer:
I recommend freezing only the meatballs and potatoes. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Sheet Pan Meatballs and Potatoes with Zucchini Without Onion Without Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef 450g
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tablespoons seltzer water or plain unflavored sparkling water
- 8 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes for meatballs
- ½ teaspoon ground rosemary for meatballs
- 2 lb potatoes 900g
- 2 medium sized zucchini
- ¾ teaspoon ground rosemary for vegetables
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes for vegetables
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil for vegetables
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, ground rosemary, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, seltzer water, and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined, then shape into meatballs slightly smaller than a tennis ball.
- Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into slices or cubes. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Wash and cut the zucchini into slices or cubes, then add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and ground rosemary, drizzle with cooking oil, and toss to coat evenly.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes and zucchini in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add the meatballs to the pan. Continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked (165°F / 75°C inside) and the potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Notes
- LOW FODMAP: use plain gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of plain breadcrumbs, or skip the breadcrumbs completely. If you leave out the breadcrumbs, also leave out the seltzer water, otherwise the meatballs will turn out too soft.
- Gallbladder diet: use no more than 1 tablespoon of oil. To help the potatoes crisp up, avoid overcrowding the baking sheet so they have enough room to brown evenly.
- Broiler trick for extra crispy potatoes: if you like extra-crispy potatoes, but they aren’t crispy enough by the time the meatballs are done, remove the meatballs from the pan. Switch the oven to broil and broil the potatoes and zucchini for a few minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Seltzer water: adds lightness and tenderness to the meatballs by creating small air bubbles in the mixture. This keeps them from becoming dense or heavy. Use plain, unflavored sparkling water or club soda, not flavored or sweetened types.
Need more recipe ideas?
Check out these recipes:
- Tomato Soup without Onion
- 15 minute Ground Beef Wraps
- Turkey Casserole
- Low Fat Vegetable Casserole
- Mushroom Risotto
If you need more recipes, check out my meal plan! There you will find 20 unpublished no onion no garlic recipes! Get exclusive recipes without onion & garlic and cheer up your dinner time with delicious meals!
Subscribe now and receive once a week my latest recipes without onion, garlic and other alliums
I'll never send you spam and you can unsubscribe anytime
