Italian Style Venison Meatballs

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Mazola® Corn Oil. All opinions are mine alone.

My family has decided to eat lighter but instead of cutting our favorite foods, I have decided to create better-for-you versions that taste like the real thing and my most recent creation is Italian Style Venison Meatballs. I made a few changes to my original Italian Style Venison Meatball Recipe and swapped out less desirable ingredients like lard, with better-for-you options like Mazola® Corn Oil.

A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. In the spirit of making lighter swaps, I was happy to switch out the lard I usually use when creating venison meatballs and replace it with Mazola Corn Oil.

Since Mazola Corn Oil is a heart-healthy choice, my family will get the delicious taste they remember from my original Venison Meatball Recipe as well as the benefits because the neutral taste allows my meatball flavor to stand out.

I have been getting creative by using corn oil for more than just Venison Meatballs. There are a variety of ways to use it that including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir-frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing.

Since Mazola Corn Oil has a smoke point higher than most cooking oils at 450°F which allows it to be so versatile. Many home cooks may not realize that all cooking oils have a smoke point that, once exceeded, not only negatively affects the food’s flavor and nutritional value.

With cholesterol-blocking plant sterols, Mazola Corn Oil is a heart-healthy choice for salad dressings, marinades, and more. Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol in your meals easily with simple swaps, such as substituting lard with Mazola Corn Oil. Some of the other swaps we have made are swapping out salt for extra garlic.

The last thing we need in our diet is excess sodium so salt is no longer part of my meatball recipe and instead of ground beef, we use venison. It’s a leaner option that hasn’t been through the questionable process that store-bought beef goes through.

This Italian Style Venison Meatball Recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and it works for a variety of dishes. They are a delicious appetizer, delicious addition to spaghetti, or can be enjoyed as one of my favorites, meatball subs.

The first step in creating these Italian Style Venison Meatballs is to mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, starting with ground venison.

The next step is to add in the breadcrumbs, no need to mix all of the ingredients until they are all in the bowl.

The next addition is parmesan cheese.

I then add in all of the seasonings and 2 tablespoons of Mazola Corn Oil.

In the words of Theo Von, now is the time to “Get in There” and mix all of the ingredients together. After everything is well combined, form 16 meatballs and place them in a baking dish drizzled with corn oil.

To make sure my meatballs come out as crispy as possible, I drizzle a little corn oil on top. I then bake them in a copper pan, pulling them out of the oven halfway through and turning them over.

These Italian Style Venison Meatballs are done when they are brown throughout and crispy on the outside, this takes about 25 minutes total.

I hope you have enjoyed these Italian Style Venison Meatballs and my better-for-you swap suggestions. What are your favorite swaps to make when cooking for your family?