Oven Baked Paleo Italian Meatballs over Garlic Cauliflower Mash

I've posted this paleo meatball recipe a couple times now, which means this recipe is clearly one of my favorites! I decided to switch it up this time though and pair it with a garlic cauliflower mash, and I even used ghee (clarified butter) as the recipe calls for. If you don't have ghee you can use your favorite cooking fat instead, which is what I have always done in the past whenever a recipe called for ghee. However, I recently bought ghee to make tasty paleo meals for my mom, so I am just making sure I put it to use. Anyways, I cannot believe how delicious the cauliflower mash turned out! I haven't had mashed potatoes in a long long time, but I really thought it tasted just like mashed potatoes. I was a little nervous that the meatballs and marinara sauce might not pair well with the cauliflower mash, but this meal tasted amazing. Also worth noting is that I used two 12oz bags of frozen cauliflower and barely had enough mash for 6 meals. These recipes are seriously worth making, both separate or together! 

Oven Baked Paleo Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1lb ground pork
• 1lb ground beef
• 2 tbsps Italian Seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsps parsely, finely chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a sheet pan with foil
3. Mix the meat, egg and seasonings together in a bowl, then form about two tablespoons of the meat mixture into even sized meatballs and place them on the lined sheet pan.
4. Bake in a 400f oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Marinara Sauce:

1. Add the olive oil to a pan and heat up on a medium heat, then add the chopped onion and saute for five minutes. Add the chopped garlic, canned tomatoes, bay leaf and pepper.
2. Cook on a low - medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes.
3. Serve over the cooked meatballs and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Original recipe found here 

Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head (I used 2 bags of frozen cauliflower) 
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ghee (you can also use coconut oil or olive oil)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into large florets.
2. Steam the cauliflower in a large pot with boiling water, garlic cloves, and salt. Steam until fork tender.
3. Drain and transfer cauliflower and garlic cloves into a blender or food processor.
4. Add the ghee and black pepper. Blender until smooth. Add salt if needed.