Meatball Leek Custard Casserole (Gluten Free and Low Carb)
This meatball leek custard casserole is great for the cold days. It warms the body and the soul. It is also low carb and gluten free. This makes it suitable for people who are on a keto or gluten free diet.
You should try this recipe when you don’t know what to make for dinner. This casserole is a combination of a creamy savory custard and juicy, smoky meatballs that anyone will enjoy. It is perfect for the times when your family wants to try something new.
Helpful Tips
You can prepare it with any ground meat you like. I ground my own meat and I love to use a mixture or beef and pork when I make meatballs. In my opinion, this combination creates the juiciest meatballs. You can also make them only from beef or from ground poultry.
To make sure that your meatball leek custard casserole is ready to get out of the oven use a wooden spoon or spatula and slowly press it on its top. The casserole may look set but there might be some cream that is still liquid. If you press it with a spatula and there is still some liquid cream coming out on top continue baking for 5-10 more minutes.
If you don’t have any diet restrictions I recommended serving this casserole with some freshly baked bread and your favorite salad. A glass of red wine will also pair up very nicely with this recipe.
Food Safety
Store the casserole in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It can be served warm or cold. Freezing is not recommended. Check the quality of each egg before adding it to the casserole. Dishes that contain eggs and cream shouldn’t be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Harmful bacteria can grow quickly and cause serious illness.
Meatball Leek Custard Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground meat of your choice I used a mix of beef and pork
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ cup cooking oil I use sunflower oil
- 3 leek stalks white parts chopped
- 3 bacon slices
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream 16 fluid ounces
- 6 large eggs one egg goes into the mixture for the meatballs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl add the ground meat, one large egg, the chopped onion, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well until combined.
- Form small meatballs (I ended up with 16 mini meatballs).
- Add the oil in a pan and preheat it to medium high. Fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Cut the raw bacon to small pieces. Wash and chop the white parts of the leeks to rounds. Add them to another heated pan and cook them until the leeks are slightly softer (4-5 min.)
- In a deep bowl add 5 cracked eggs and whisk them slightly. Then add the cream to the same bowl and stir it in with the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the casserole add the cooked leeks and bacon at the bottom of an oven safe baking dish.
- Then add the meatballs and then pour the cream and egg mixture on top of them.
- Bake at 400F for about 20-25 minutes or until the custard is completely set and slightly browned on top.
