Confession: I ate a lot of meatballs in my life before I started eating vegan. I mean… I’m 100% Italian. That’s what I grew up on. Needless to say, I was pretty picky with the fake stuff for a while. Until I went to Target and found Gardein Meatless Meatballs. They DON’T TASTE LIKE CARDBOARD. Hallelujah! In fact, they are bursting with flavor and have a great texture. Even Joe said that these could fool anybody. Maybe not everybody, but I like to think so.
One of my favorite dishes Mom would make growing up was Meatballs, Peppers, and Onions. Perfect as is or in-between your favorite italian bread.
The Recipe
You will need:
- 1 package Gardein Meatless Meatballs (or however many you want to add)
- 3 red peppers, sliced (or whatever you have)
- 1 vidalia onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1 tbs pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbs white vinegar
- Red hot pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To make:
- Prep your veggies and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add your garlic, sesame oil, maple syrup, and veggies.
- Sauté for about 7 minutes, before adding your meatballs.
- Sprinkle with dark brown sugar, add your white vinegar, and seasonings.
- Set heat to low and let cook for another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- NOTE: Once the meatballs are thawed, I like to slice them and let the inside soak up the juices. Your call!
This is a fast dinner that looks and is real hearty that takes only about 30-45 minutes.
Has anyone else fallen for Gardein meatless meatballs? I also bought the chicken-less patties… hoping they are just as good. xx bianca
I love the onions and peppers, looks great! We actually had Gardein ‘Meatballs’ for dinner last night too. :-)
Thank you!! You should give this combo a try next time :)
I had Gardein meatless meatballs tonight with my spaghetti! I really like them. And one thing I like is that they are not too strongly “Italian” flavored, so you could use them in different recipes. I plan to try making Swedish meatballs with them. Your recipe looks great!
I agree with you, Catherine! They worked so well with this sweet sauce, and I think they would work just as well with marinara :) Let me know how to swedish meatballs come out! xx
i love their chikn strips with greens and guac/hummus in wraps!!
That sounds sooo good. I will need to pick up a package soon!! Thanks for the inspiration :-D
same to you!!
I made this last night. Since going to a football game on Saturday night, I’ve been craving the peppers and onions they were frying up to serve on sausages… didn’t want the sausage, just the onions and peppers. I began looking for recipes that would satisfy this craving and yours was IT.
I agree – the Gardein meatballs are fantastic. And the rest of the recipe was also fantastic. I served it on Philly rolls, brushed with olive oil and toasted. I also used an extra pepper…. did I mention I was craving peppers?
My whole family (vegan-leaning and omnivores alike) loved it.
Hi Tracie – this makes me so happy to hear! It always satisfies the craving for me, too. Those Philly rolls sound incredible. So happy your whole family enjoyed it! :) xx