Recipes

Dinner

Creamy Paprika Beef Meatballs with Cauliflower Mash

Tender beef meatballs in a creamy paprika tomato sauce packed with vegetables, served over a generous cauliflower-potato mash. Comforting, filling and high in protein without feeling like diet food.

High ProteinMaximum VolumeGluten Free
Makes
3large servings
serving
1 full serving
Cooking
Stovetop
Method
Pan-fry50 min
Photo coming soon

What you’ll need

Ingredients

  • Beef meatballs
  • 400 g lean minced beef, about 5% fat
  • 1 egg
  • 30 g certified gluten-free rolled oats
  • ½ medium onion, very finely grated (about 50 g)
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1 tsp salt to taste
  • generous black pepper
  • Creamy tomato-paprika sauce
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 100 g)
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 100 g)
  • 1 large carrot, finely diced or grated (about 100 g)
  • 250 g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 150 g)
  • 20 g tomato paste
  • 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 50 ml light cream
  • 1 dl gluten-free beef stock, plus more if needed
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ tsp salt to start, then adjust to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1–2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with a little cold water, only if needed (optional)
  • 15–20 g flat-leaf parsley
  • Cauliflower-potato mash
  • 1 large cauliflower (about 800 g)
  • 1 small potato (about 80–100 g)
  • ½ dl semi-skimmed milk, plus more only if needed
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch nutmeg

Step by step

Method

Beef meatballs

  1. Mix the beef, egg, oats, grated onion, garlic, sweet paprika, salt and black pepper until just combined. Set aside while you start the mash.

Cauliflower mash

  1. Boil the potatoes first. Add the cauliflower for the final 8–10 minutes, until both are very tender.

  2. Drain well, then return the vegetables to the hot pan for 2–3 minutes to let excess moisture evaporate. Set aside.

Beef meatballs

  1. Form the rested mixture into about 20 small meatballs, allowing 6–7 per serving.

  2. Brown the meatballs well in a large pan over medium-high heat, then transfer them to a plate. They will finish cooking later in the sauce.

Creamy paprika sauce

  1. Add the onion, celery and carrot to the same pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.

  2. Add the mushrooms and red bell pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned.

  3. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the sweet paprika and smoked paprika and cook briefly until fragrant.

  4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and 1 dl beef stock, scraping up the flavourful browned bits left by the meatballs and vegetables. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes.

  5. Reduce the heat and stir in the light cream. Simmer gently until smooth and creamy. If the sauce is still too thin, stir 1 tsp cornstarch with a little cold water, add it gradually and simmer briefly. Add up to 1 tsp more only if needed. Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper and paprika.

  6. Return the meatballs to the finished sauce and simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, until cooked through.

Finish & serve

  1. Stir most of the parsley into the sauce, saving a little for serving.

  2. Mash the cauliflower and potatoes with the milk, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Add a little more milk only if needed. Divide into three generous servings, spoon over the meatballs and sauce, and finish with the remaining parsley.

Estimated nutrition

Per full serving

≈493
kcal
46 g
protein
15 g
fiber

Estimated nutrition. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients and products used.

Notes & substitutions

Sauce consistency

Let the sauce reduce before adding the cream. Use the cornstarch slurry only if it still needs thickening.