Mmmmm meatballs! Or should I say, vegan Neatballs! The fine folks at Atlantic Natural Foods sent me a couple of their Neat brand products to try- The Neat Egg, an egg substitute for baking, and Neat Italian Mix, a flavorful meat replacement for Italian meatballs, spaghetti sauce and lasagna. Even better- they’re going to share them with a lucky reader as well!
The Neat Egg is all natural, derived from chia seeds and garbanzo seeds. Just two ingredients! The 4.5oz bag is the equivalent of 18 eggs, and is soy and gluten-free, as well as vegan and kosher. I’m no baker, so the only thing I’ve used it for so far is in the neatballs I’m about to show you. Bianca, AKA Crunk Master B, just did a review of the neat egg in cupcakes though, so you should check that out.
I really liked the Neat Italian Mix! As soon as you tear the package open you can smell all the delicious seasonings they used. And it was super easy to turn into meatless balls- I just whipped together one neat egg (note: it appears that newer packages of the Italian Mix come with the neat egg already included, but mine didn’t), the mix, and some nutritional yeast (subbed in for Parmesan cheese), add a bit of water, and voila! Neatballs! I baked them in the over for about 18 minutes, and then this happened:
Pasta, sauce, some diced peppers and onions… and my Neatballs. Delicious. The mix is made from pecans, garbanzo beans and spices, so these do have a “beanball” taste and texture, which is a good thing because I like beans! The outsides got nice and crispy in the oven, and they held together really well. Just like the Neat Egg, this mix is soy and gluten-free, and vegan and kosher.
The Neat brand is more than just Italian neatballs and egg replacer though- they have ten mixes, everything from Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes to Mocha Dark Chocolate Cookies to Black Bean Brownies! And you can buy them nearly everywhere, it appears. The other day I actually noticed a few of their products on the shelf at my local King Soopers (I have my eye on the breakfast mix, because I loooove breakfast sausage sandwiches!).
The Giveaway
One lucky reader will win two packages from Neat: The Neat Egg Replacer, and the Neat Italian Mix! To enter, leave a comment below telling us your favorite way to eat meatballs. With pasta? On a sub sandwich? With some crazy sauce in a crockpot? You can also earn extra entries via social media. Contest ends Sunday, April 16th at midnight (mountain time). One winner will be chosen at random and announced the following day. Be sure and log your comment into the Rafflecopter to make it count. Open to residents of the US only, good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*I was provided free product to review but the opinions are 100% mine!
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Do you think this could be used for a ground beef substitute and not formed into balls? Looks for substitutes for my parents.
Absolutely- it can be used in sauces, lasagna, anything!
Meatball sub all the way! Would love to try this mix.
I’d use them on top of pasta! I like to have something hearty & substantive with my bowl of carbs. 😀
I only recently went vegan and haven’t had a chance to eat vegan meatballs yet – I’d probably try them on their own with some sauce and vegetables.
Kind of strange ,but I like it crumbled on salads and in my scrambled eggs as well. Lol. Am I the only one?
Sweet and sour sauce over rice
I’m always looking for a great egg replacer, and the Neat egg sounds like it might be it.
I like mine in big crumbles in pasta sauce served over pasta.
I like to make spaghetti and meatballs. Spaghetti is a favorite in our house!
Crockpot meatballs are definitely my favorite! I have never been a fan of meatballs in spaghetti, odd though that may be ..
I enjoy them with roasted veggies.
I usually eat them as a stand alone, usually with some type of sauce or gravy.
Definitely on spaghetti or some type of pasta. =)
Pasta is my favorite but I also like them simmered in salsa.
I love to make a meatball lasagna, it’s always a hit.
i love it with meatballs
I love to eat them on a sub made from fresh bread.
i absolutely love pasta
Drenched in mushroom gravy! With lots of sauteed mushrooms!
with pasta and mushrooms mmmm
I love ‘meat’balls with spaghetti squash!
I like to put meatballs on my pasta and cover with some good hearty sauce and cheese
My family loves to have meatballs on a sub with some yummy cheese and sauce!
Love to try it in Indian curry