Preheat your Oven to 400°F. Line a large Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper and set aside.

In a large Mixing Bowl, combine the 1 lb ground beef 80/20 blend recommended, ½ lb ground pork, ½ cup almond flour finely ground, not almond meal, ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, 2 large eggs, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed (if using), 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground, and 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped. Mix with your hands or a fork until just combined — do not overmix or the meatballs will be tough.

Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll the mixture into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter (roughly 2 tbsp each). You should get about 20–22 meatballs. Place them evenly spaced on the prepared Baking Sheet and drizzle lightly with 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling.

Line a Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil, extending it up the sides to catch grease. Optionally place a Wire Rack on top for better airflow and crispier bacon. Lay strips in a single layer — close but not overlapping. No oil or extra seasoning needed.

Set Oven to 400°F. You can start bacon in a cold oven as it preheats, or wait until fully preheated — both work. Use an external Meat Thermometer if your oven runs inaccurate. Start checking at 14–15 minutes. Thin-cut: 10–14 min. Standard-cut: 15–20 min. Thick-cut: 20–22 min. No need to flip. Check every couple of minutes after the first check — overdone happens fast. Pull bacon just before it looks done; it keeps cooking for a minute or two off the heat.