I have been making these meatballs for years. I absolutely loved them. They have sort of evolved over the years to become more healthy, which is a good thing. They are still full of flavor.
I use 90% lean ground beef to save points. Although there is not a lot of fat in the beef they are still moist and full of flavor.
I used jumbo shell noodles to stuff the meatballs into. I was surprised to find out that 3 of the Meatball Stuffed Shells are 5 Freestyle points.
We’re talking pasta, meatballs, sauce and cheese for only 5 Freestyle points!
I serve it with a salad and it’s a perfect dinner. I keep the salad very low in points so it usually ends up being a 6 point dinner for me.
Three stuffed shells may not seem like a lot, but they are very filling. I never finish this meal feeling hungry, which is a good thing.
I came up with this recipe one day on accident. I knew I was going to make my meatballs, but I wanted to make a meatball sub/slider out of it.
The problem was I didn’t have any type of bread or bun to use. I looked through the pantry and found the jumbo pasta shells. So I went with that.
It’s funny how a craving for something can cause you to create something even better!
I also make my own sauce for this recipe. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s zero points and it tastes great.
There are plenty of times I will grab a jar of spaghetti sauce from the grocery store, but you have to watch out for the extra points.
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Yield: 24 stuffed shells (3 shells per serving – 5 points per serving for blue, green and purple)
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- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons Kraft grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 lb. 90% lean ground beef
- 29 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 24 jumbo pasta shells
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil (optional)
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In a saucepan add the tomato sauce and all of the seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Allow sauce to simmer while you make the meatballs.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the ingredients for the meatballs, except for the beef. Stir it all together, then add the beef. Mix it together with your hands for best results.
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Roll the meat mixture into small meatballs. You should get 24 mini meatballs.
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Add the meatballs to a baking sheet and place in the oven for 12 minutes.
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While the meatballs cook, cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the directions on the box.
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Once the meatballs are done baking lower he heat to 350 degrees F.
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Spray a baking pan with no-stick cooking spray. Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of the pan.
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Assemble the shells by adding a 1/2 tablespoon sauce to one shell, then a meatball and place in the pan. Once they are all finished ad the rest of the sauce to the top of them.
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Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
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Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
If you’re looking for some zero point recipes, check out my post 20 Zero Point Recipes or my post 20 (More) Zero Point Recipes. Both are filled with delicious recipes that won’t cost you a single point! They’re perfect for days when you’re running low on points, or trying to save up points for a night out.
If you’re looking for more dessert recipes you can visit 50 Weight Watchers Freestyle Desserts. It’s filled with delicious desserts perfect for Weight Watchers!
brenda tallarico
October 23, 2018 at 9:50 pmThank you for posting all your delicious recipes. I have made many and they are amazing and so point friendly! Can’t wait to try this one! 😀
keepingonpoint
October 23, 2018 at 10:28 pmThank you so much!! 🙂
Sandy Richards
February 5, 2022 at 3:46 pmCan you double the meatballs part of the recipe?
keepingonpoint
February 5, 2022 at 8:53 pmSure, I would double the meatball ingredients (except the egg) and adjust the points.