Crispy Baked Eggplant Dippers and Italian Meatballs
Change up your eggplant routine and make a kid-friendly, dip worthy dinner with crispy baked eggplant dippers and Italian meatballs!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
FOR THE EGGPLANT DIPPERS ::
- 1/3 cup potato starch
- 1 egg whisked with a splash of water
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 2/3 cup white rice flour
If Paleo/grain free use almond flour
, or cassava flour
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1-2 small eggplants sliced into thin rounds
- Your favorite marinara sauce for dipping!
, or 
FOR THE MEATBALLS ::
- 1 lb grassfed ground beef
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp white rice flour If Paleo/grain free use cassava flour
- 2 tbsp marinara sauce or pizza sauce
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil or about 1-2 tsp dried basil
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh oregano or about 1-2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Set out 3 bowls. Put the potato starch in the 1st bowl. Whisk the egg/water in the 2nd bowl. Whisk the coconut shreds, rice flour, Italian season, salt, and pepper in the 3rd bowl.
- Dip each eggplant round in the potato starch 1st, then the egg/water bowl 2nd, and finally the flour bowl. Line up the coated eggplant dippers on a Silpat lined baking sheet.
- Bake the eggplant dippers at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, flip the eggplant dippers and bake another 20 minutes (You will be putting the meatballs in to bake for that last 20 minutes too!)
- While the eggplant dippers are baking the first 25 minutes, you can roll your meatballs. Put all of the meatball ingredients in a small mixing bowl and combine. Roll the meatballs and line them up on a baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes along with the eggplant dippers that you have flipped. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping and salads on the side!