Everyone loves a meatball
April 9, 2007 by Heather
Heather says:
This recipe is quick and so simple the kids can help. If they can roll a playdough ball, they can make a meatball. I tend to make this in large batches so I can freeze leftovers for future meals of calzones, subs, or even more spaghetti. If you have a vacuum sealer, from experience, I know they can be kept at least a year in a deep freeze. If you’re out to make a year’s worth of meatballs, I’d suggest inviting a friend over break up the monotony. Bulk cooking goes a lot faster with an extra pair of hands.
For each pound of ground beef I add:
- 1 lb bulk hot Italian sausage (use mild if you’d prefer)
- 1 finely minced clove of garlic
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 egg
- 1 generous tsp Italian seasoning (omit if you use flavored bread crumbs)
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Preheat your oven to 350F. Mix above ingredients thoroughly and shape into one inch meatballs. If your mixture is a little dry, add about 1/4 cup of water to the mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. If you like a crispy outer layer, switch on the broiler and watch them carefully the last few minutes.
Remove from the baking sheet and allow to drain on paper towels. Cool and freeze in dinner size portions. To thaw, heat through in pasta or pizza sauce, they’ll absorb extra flavor.
Enjoy.
I’ve done meatballs only once (2″ diameter), and I deep fried them in olive oil before letting them simmer for 30 minutes in marinara. How does baking/broiling them compare taste-wise?
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I think taste-wise they are very similar,but you could easily pan fry a few and compare them yourself. We prefer to bake them as it lets some of the fat drain off. If I’m feeling particularly health conscious I’ll use a broiling pan to let more fat drip off.
Make these whatever diameter you’d like, we just prefer the smaller ones for their versatility. It’s harder to stuff a 2″ one into a calzone. You will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
HTH!
I love meatballs, but I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never made them. I always by the low-fat version at Aldi’s, which are good, but I’m sure that don’t compare to homemade in taste or healthiness. Thanks for sharing!
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