If your house is anything like ours recently, the weekends have been filled with football games and friends! Someone asked me the other day what team I cheer for, and my response was “I’m really just on team snacks!” So yes, high-fives all around for team snacks right?!

I created an entire “Game Day Eats” chapter in my cookbook, All American Paleo Table and I have loved hearing from you all how excited you are to have kid, husband and friend approved treats and snacks to take to gatherings or parties! Those are always my favorite foods—the ones that can be shared and prove that healthy eating can be so flavorful and fun!

So if you have been following me on Instagram for a while, you probably know the my husband and I love to smoke meats—ah the flavor is just magical, or what I like to call “meat candy!”  We have been making these meatballs for a while now and they are just …well yes magical! I get so many questions sometimes asking what snacks or appetizers to eat, so make a double batch of these smoked meatballs and YOU and your tummy will be happy!

Some Other Snack Inspiration:

• The “Game Day Eats” chapter of my cookbook, All American Paleo Table
• Truffled Deviled Eggs
• Salted, Maple Blondies
• Cookie Dough Fudge
• Animal Style Fries
• Bacon Jam Burgers

I was so excited when a box of Primal Palate’s spice blends arrived a few weeks ago, and I usually make all my seasonings from scratch but these have saved me recently throwing together some simple, healthy yet totally flavorful meals! And my oh my do they smell amazing!

Their seasonings are so fresh and bold that you can taste the quality right away.  Cooking good food and eating healthy does not have to be complicated—you just have to start with good, fresh ingredients and these spices have for sure helped enhance my cooking! Seriously do yourself a favor and go order some today!

Primal Palate is offering a 10% discount code on all their spices through end of day Sunday (11/01) so that you too can try them out! Enter the code “ColorfulEats” at checkout to save!

Grain-Free Stuffed Smoked Meatballs

makes 8 meatballs (they are so good, I highly recommend doubling the recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, preferably grass-fed
• 1 1/2 tsp Primal Palate’s Meat and Potato Seasoning
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 2 oz cheddar cheese, cut into cubes (omit for dairy free)
• additional seasoning to sprinkle on top

Directions

• Prepare and light your smoker with wood (hickory, mesquite, pecan or apple).  Allow the fire to burn for a while coming to a stable temperature between 275 and 300 degrees F.  Maintain the fire temperature throughout the smoking process, adding wood when necessary.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the beef, seasoning, mustard and minced onion until combined, being careful not to over mix or the meat will become gummy.
• Divide the meat into 8 sections, using your hands to shape into small, flat round patties. (If you are not stuffing them with cheese, simply skip straight to forming them into meatballs.)
• Place a cheese cube in the center of the beef patty and use your hands to shape it into a round meatball.  Place on parchment paper and repeat the process until you have formed all the meatballs.  Sprinkle the tops with more seasoning.
• Place the parchment paper and meatballs directly on the smoker grates and smoke for 1 hour or until they have a nice crusty exterior.*  Keep in mind that your meat will have a pink like hue to it due to the smoking process.
• Serve and enjoy!

*With smoking meats, every smoker and cooking environment is different so your first time, I recommend cutting through one meatball to make sure it is done.

**Word of advice: only put the parchment paper on the grill grates, don’t put your baking tray otherwise it will turn black and smokey!