Mmmm, meatballs! Meatballs are an almost universal comfort food. Cultural variations are made with lamb, pork, beef and different seasonings. Mini meatballs work well for soups and appetizers, larger ones are good on rice, noodles, and sandwiches. Meatballs are easy to double batch and freeze, making them a Table365 favorite.
Spaghetti and meatballs is one of a few dishes I cook for my family that transports me back in time to when I would watch my mom prepare them. The recipe doesn’t go back very far in our family’s history, but my mom struck gold when she found it. I hope my kids will enjoy cooking them one day since it is one of their favorites too. (My mom even mentions this recipe when Sharon and I asked our mothers about their memories of feeding their families.)
Not only are the meatballs full of delicious flavor, but the recipe also yields a ton, leaving me with great leftovers and freezer meals. One of my favorite things about cooking them is that you really can’t go wrong. Sometimes mine even fall apart during cooking, but I just shrug it off as if I was planning to make a delicious meat sauce instead. Assembling the ingredients, forming the meatballs, browning them, and then cooking them in the sauce takes a little time, but it is well worth the effort. Although I love this particular recipe when I have the time to make it, I enjoy trying other variations too. One of my mom’s friends made delicious chicken meatballs during a recent visit (see idea below), and I was delighted to learn her secret: pre-made chicken sausage that she doctored a little and then formed into meatballs. They were great…and easy.
Experiment and enjoy!
Italian Meatballs
- 2 lb. ground beef
- ½ lb. of bulk hot Italian sausage, or 2 hot Italian sausages links
- 1 lb. ground veal
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 pieces of white bread, torn into small pieces
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 (28 oz.) cans tomato sauce (or 4 smaller size)
- 1 teaspoon both salt and pepper
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 4 garlic
- 2 celery stalks, large chop
- 2 carrots, large chop
1. Using a food processor, pulse the celery and carrots together a few times, then add the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until everything is cut into a small chop.
2. Remove the sausage from the casings if using links. Combine the sausage meat, ground beef, ground veal, eggs, bread crumbs, bread pieces, parmesan, water, and ketchup together. Add ½ of the food processor ingredients from step 1. Reserve the other half. Mash everything together with your hands, and form the meatballs. (You can place the formed meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment.)
3. In large stockpot add some olive oil and saute the other half (the reserved half) of the food processor mixture. After this has sauted for a few minutes, add the tomato sauce and keep at a low simmer. You will be adding the meatballs to the sauce as soon as they are browned.
4. Brown the meatballs in a large skillet (I use a cast iron pan) on all sides until they develop some color. You will need to do this in batches. Once browned, add them to the tomato sauce.
5. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Easy Chicken Meatballs
I am not sure where she got the idea, but my mom’s friend Ashley made us a tasty meal of chicken, feta, and spinach meatballs served with a simple marinara and pasta. If I hadn’t asked for the recipe, I would have never known that she used prepared fresh chicken sausages as the starting point for the meal. I think it is a great idea for a weeknight meal option, or as a quick dish to prepare for guests that is more elegant than simply grilling up the chicken sausages.
Choose a fresh chicken sausage at your market. If you can buy it bulk, you won’t have to deal with the added step of taking it out of the casing. Add seasonings, if you like, such as chopped garlic and salt. Form into meatballs.
Either bake the meatballs at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or cook on the stove top, turning often for about 8-10 minutes.
I have tried these meatballs and there melt in your mouth. So good! I’m hungry just looking at the picture. Thanks for sharing your sacred recipe, Kimberly! I can’t wait to try it out!!! The chicken meatballs sound delicious too so I’ll be making those as well. Thanks Table 365!!!