Cheeseburger Meatball Bowls

I've been mildly obsessed with bowls lately, so when I saw this recipe for Cheeseburger Meatballs I decided to turn them into a bowl.

Cheeseburger Meatball Bowls
Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 pound ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
12 cubes of cheddar cheese, about 1-inch in size
1 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
shredded lettuce, for serving
sliced cherry tomatoes, for serving
pickled onions, for serving
pickles, for serving
fries, for serving

SAUCE
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chopped pickles
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix until just combined. Form into meatballs about the size of a golf ball. Stick one cube of cheddar inside each meatball, forming the beef around it and sealing so the cheese stays inside. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (make sure it has a lid) over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, cooking for about 5 minutes total. If there is a lot of excess grease, remove it. Place the lid on the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the lid, cover each meatball with some of the grated cheese, and put the lid back on. Let the cheese melt.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Assemble the bowls with meatballs, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, pickled onion, sauce, and fries.

Pickled Onions
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Separate the onion rings and place in a small bowl. Whisk the vinegar, water, sugar and salt together until the sugar and salt dissolve, then pour over the onion rings. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill. Drain onions before using.

Greek Meatballs

I am such a sucker for Greek flavors. I've been thinking about Greek meatballs forever and finally decided to make them when my friend, Patty, brought me some amazing feta from New York City. She has family up there and whenever she visits she brings home all sorts of Greek delicacies. This feta has spoiled me for all supermarket feta. It's tangy and salty and just plain perfect.

After I posted these to my personal Facebook page, my friend Jaida mentioned that she makes her Greek turkey meatballs with spinach. I wish I'd thought of that because you may notice that we didn't have a veggie side dish. We all thought the texture of the meatballs was perfect so I don't want to add spinach to them directly, but next time I make these I'll definitely wilt some spinach with sliced garlic to serve alongside.

There are a lot of recipes for Greek meatballs out there so I looked at a few and pulled ingredients that sounded good to me. This is my take. Adjust as you like. 

UPDATE: December 2020

I turned leftover meatballs into Greek meatballs sandwiches. Homemade naan, meatballs broken into pieces, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki. Utterly and completely delicious (and very messy). I highly recommend doing this with leftover meatballs.

Greek Meatballs

 

2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/2 to 1 cup feta, crumbled
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2/3 cup panko
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a sheet of parchment paper. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Form the meat mixture into meatballs. I used an ice cream scoop for larger meatballs.  Place the meatballs on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 30 minutes if you made larger meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes if you used a 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop. Meatballs are done when the internal temp is at least 165 degrees. 

Serve with rice, garlicky sauteed spinach and tzatziki. 

Tzatziki

1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced
Dried dill, to taste
2 cups plain Greek nonfat yogurt
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Grate the cucumber over the large holes of a box grater. Place the cucumber in a bowl and add the salt, pepper, garlic, and dried dill. Stir to combine. Add the yogurt and some lemon juice and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Chill before serving.

 

Lemon Parsley Turkey Meatballs in Curry Sauce over Coconut Rice

I've become obsessed with meatballs.



My friend, Jaida, posted this recipe for Lemon Parsley Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Coconut Curry Sauce and Lemon-Coconut Rice (sorry, Jaida, I had to shorten the name) last month and I couldn't wait to make them. She came up with this one all on her own, which is pretty amazing if you ask me.

We're also obsessed with coconut rice in this house and these delicious, light meatballs in a drinkably good curry sauce were the perfect thing to serve on top. I decided to make a few changes to Jaida's original recipe to suit our tastes and it did not disappoint. I'm already plotting when I can make it again.

Lemon Parsley Turkey Meatballs in Curry Sauce over Coconut Rice
Slightly modified from Sweet Beginnings

Lemon-Parsley Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
Zest and juice of 2 medium-large lemons
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil

Coconut Rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

Curry Sauce
1 can, plus what's left in the can used for the rice, coconut milk
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil. Gently mix with your hands until well combined. Take about 2 tablespoons of the meat at a time and form into balls. Place each meatball on a plate and repeat with all the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add the meatballs so that they are not touching. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until all sides are browned. Reduce the heat to medium.

While the meatballs are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add the rice and stir to coat each grain evenly. Toast the rice for a few minutes, until you start to see brown spots. Add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit while you finish the meatballs and sauce.

Put all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, while the meatballs cook. Once the meatballs have been browned, carefully pour the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over the rice.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

You know a recipe is good when it pushes you out of your blogging slump. These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs did just that. I couldn't wait to share them with you guys and I managed to schedule a few more posts while I was at it.

I saw these meatballs on my friend Jaida's blog and she raved about them, so I figured I'd give them a shot. I've been in a cooking rut lately, remaking a lot of old favorites rather than trying new stuff. We've been on a fresh mozzarella kick lately and I knew you couldn't go wrong stuffing it into a meatball. This was an incredibly easy meal to make, perfect for a weeknight. It took less than 10 minutes to make the meatballs and, bonus, I had frozen sauce in the freezer. It took longer to chop the ingredients for the salad I served on the side.

What I didn't expect was for these to be the most flavorful meatballs I've ever made. We were all blown away. Baby Girl said, "these aren't just good, Mommy. They're amazing, awesome and wonderful." It's been awhile since I've photographed dinner outside, so Baby Girl jumped at the chance to have her plate next to mine for a picture.

Despite the fact that I thought I'd sealed the meatballs well, most of mine broke open while they cooked. Fortunately, the cheese didn't really melt or leak out. Just make sure you really, really seal them well. I had 14 mozzarella balls, but you may want to stick with the 10-12 in the recipe below so there's more meat to fully encase the cheese.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
As seen on Sweet Beginnings

1 egg
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10-12 mini balls fresh mozzarella (bocconcini), or fresh mozzarella cut in small pieces
3 cups pasta sauce

Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, ground beef, chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic and mix with your hands until combined.

Divide the meat into 10-12 balls (a couple of tablespoons each). Flatten each section of meat, then wrap it around one mozzarella ball. Squish the edges together to be sure it's sealed. Repeat this process until you've used up all the meat.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat (no need to add oil, there's plenty of fat in the meat). Add the meatballs and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until well-browned.

Add the pasta sauce (enough to coat the bottom and come up about halfway up the meatballs) to the skillet. Simmer for about five minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally to coat them in the sauce.

Serve the meatballs over pasta or rice, as a sandwich, or by themselves.

Meatball Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

One Sunday SP made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. The meatball recipe he used yielded quite a bit of leftovers so I froze probably 5 or 6 meatballs for another time. While meal planning one week I decided I wanted to do something different with the meatballs and these meatball grilled cheese sandwiches were born.

I'm partial to good old American cheese but use whatever type of cheese you like. This is really more of a method than a recipe. Use your favorite meatball recipe or even buy some frozen if that's easier. I've added sauteed spinach to these as well and really enjoyed it (plus it makes me feel better to have something healthy thrown in there).

Meatball Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches

5-6 meatballs
Butter, for the bread
8 slices bread
Cheese (I like American, use whatever you like)
Extra marinara sauce for dipping

Slice the meatballs into thin discs so they'll lay flat on the bread.

Butter one side of each piece of bread. Flip the bread over so the butter side is down and lay two slices of cheese on each piece of bread. Top four of the slices with some of the sliced meatballs. Add a little extra sauce and then top each with one of the bread and cheese slices, butter side up.

Place the sandwiches on a griddle or large non-stick pan set over medium-low heat. Cook low and slow, allowing the bread to brown evenly and the cheese to start melting before flipping over to cook on the other side. Remove from the heat once both sides of the bread are golden brown and the cheese has melted. Allow to rest for a few minutes before cutting and serving with extra sauce for dipping.

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Every day the ladies on my cooking board post what they're having for dinner. One night Josie mentioned she was making these Beef Stroganoff Meatballs and I was immediately intrigued. We love Swedish Meatballs and Beef Stroganoff, so the idea of combining them sounded great.

These were good but could have been better (at least according to SP). The meatballs were very mildly seasoned and SP said he prefers the Worcestershire sauce in the Swedish meatballs for that added kick. He also has a thing against spaghetti and would have been happier if I served this over egg noodles. I loved the whole dish, especially the dill, but I'll plan to make some modifications before serving it again.

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs
Everyday Food

Coarse salt and pepper
3/4 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, diced small
1 pound ground beef chuck (80% lean)
1 pound mushrooms, such as button or cremini, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 1/2 cups pasta water; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer 1/4 cup shallots to breadcrumb mixture, along with beef and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Form into 1-inch balls and place, 1 inch apart, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Add mushrooms to pot with remaining shallots and cook, stirring, over medium until mushrooms are softened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons dill. Add meatballs and toss to coat. Divide pasta among four bowls and top with meatballs, sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons dill.

Soutzoukakia

I did an inventory the other weekend and discovered that I have a lot of ground beef in my freezer. I'm always looking for new ground beef recipes, so I figured this was a great time to branch out. My friend Elly had linked to these Soutzoukakia in a recent post, and they sounded so simple and delicious I put them on the menu.


These were a big hit with the whole family. Baby Girl usually eats a day behind us (although we're trying to change that, depending on when SP gets home from work), but she asked for a taste of mine and ended up inhaling two meatballs from my plate. I saved two meatballs for her for next night's dinner and again she inhaled them and asked for more. This is a big deal because she's been off meatballs for awhile now. I really enjoyed the flavors in the meatballs and loved the tomato sauce over the mashed potatoes. Delicious and easy. Thanks for helping me branch out, Elly!

Soutzoukakia
Elly Says Opa!

1 medium onion, divided
1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, pressed
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons bread crumbs (optional)
Olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can water
2 bay leaves
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin (start with 1/2 and taste-test)
1 pinch sugar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Finely mince or grate half of the onion into a large bowl. Mix in the beef, salt and pepper, oregano, garlic, parsley, egg, and breadcrumbs (if using). Form the mixture into elongated/oval-shaped meatballs. (I got 14 meatballs).

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a medium Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Pan-fry the meatballs, in batches, until they are browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the pot and drain the oil.

Put the pot back over the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Dice the other half of the onion, and add it to the pot; cook until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, cumin, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a low boil and add the meatballs. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, but longer is fine too. Add the corn starch slurry at the end. Remove the bay leaves and serve over mashed potatoes.

Skillet Meatballs and Noodles in Creamy Herb Sauce

I love easy meals and Cook's County seems to have plenty of those in their magazine. Not a lot of ingredients, but excellent flavor and easy prep are key for me these days. This meal didn't disappoint.


This is actually the second time I made this dish, but the first time I cooked it and then left it covered on the stove until I'd put Baby Girl to bed. Not a good idea, as the noodles absorbed all the sauce and the dish was rather dry. This time I made it and we ate immediately. And look - it's a one-skillet meal. Score!



Skillet Meatballs and Noodles in Creamy Herb Sauce
Cook's Country

1 pound ground beef (85% or so)
1 package garlic and herb Boursin cheese
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 ounces egg noodles
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Combine beef, 5 tablespoons Boursin cheese, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl and knead gently until combined. Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook meatballs until well browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer meatballs to plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

Cook onion in reserved fat until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add broth, noodles, and wine and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to med-low, and cook, stirring often, until pasta begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through and noodles are al dente, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in remaining Boursin cheese and chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Swedish Meatballs

I really enjoy making Swedish Meatballs because it's easy and always tasty.


I served the meatballs with egg noodles and mixed veggies for a quick weeknight dinner.

Three-Cheese Meatball Sandwiches

SP made sauce on a recent Sunday, but we didn't feel like making homemade meatballs. Our storebrand frozen meatballs actually have ingredients you can pronounce, so I bought a few bags. We ate the leftover sauce and meatballs as sandwiches:


I toasted the hoagie rolls before laying down some shredded Mexican cheese (we had a little to use up), sauce and meatballs. On top of the meatballs I put provolone, American and mozzarella cheeses:


... before baking them to melt the cheese. These tasted exactly like the sandwich I order from our favorite pizza place.

Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Creamy Tomato and Onion Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

I had tried to make this dish awhile ago and finally got around to it recently. It was amazing!


I find Rachael Ray recipes to be hit or miss bu this was definitely a winner. The meatballs were delicious, with a slight bite from the blue cheese. But the gravy is what really made this dish fantastic. It makes a ton of sauce so next time I'll cut the recipe in half (reflected in the recipe below). The mashed potatoes were great for sopping up the sauce and you can't go wrong with crispy steamed green beans.

Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Creamy Tomato and Onion Gravy
Modified Slightly from Rachael Ray

2 - 2 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 handfuls plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves (can also use dried)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola
1 tablespoon butter
2 bay leaves
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place meat in a mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, add in garlic, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs and sage. Mix meat, roll into 8 large balls and arrange in a baking dish. Make an indentation half way into each ball and fill the cavity with some Gorgonzola. Seal completely and bake until golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a sauce pot over medium heat, add bay and onions and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and tomatoes and heat through, stir in cream, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to thicken slightly 8 to 10 minutes.

Florentine Turkey Meatballs

The last time I made Florentine turkey meatballs I froze some of the leftovers. I wanted to clean out the freezer and make a quick dinner recently so I defrosted the meatballs, made a cheese sauce and served the lot over egg noodles.


I love easy dinners. The cheese sauce (basically a white sauce like for mac & cheese only I used pecorino instead of cheddar) was ready in the time it took to boil the water and cook the noodles.

Swedish Meatballs a la IKEA

A few weekends ago we took a road trip out to a baby store that we'd heard had a great selection of furniture. On the way we passed IKEA and made a mental note to stop on the way back to check out their baby stuff. By the time we finished at the furniture store we were famished, so before we browsed we decided to grab a bite to eat at the IKEA cafeteria. In all the years we've been going to IKEA we've never once eaten there. I've always wanted to try their Swedish meatballs so we got a plate of those to share. I don't know if it was hunger or what, but the entire meal was delicious. We bought a jar of their lingonberry jam so I could try replicating the meal at home. I think I did a pretty good job:


In addition to the Swedish meatballs and brown gravy (made using my usual recipe), I whipped up some mashed potatoes. Before eating this meal at IKEA I wouldn't have paired the gravy with the jam but in this case it really works. This meal truly hit the spot.

Florentine Turkey Meatballs

I used the other half of the package of ground turkey to make Florentine Turkey Meatballs, which I served over egg noodles:


I'm not sure what happened but this version wasn't as good as it usually is. I think I usually use ground turkey breast and this was a mix of dark and white meat, which probably contributed to the texture and taste difference. The cheese sauce was also off, runnier and less cheesy then usual. When SP was at the store he called to tell me they only sold 8-ounce packages of the grated Italian cheese blend and the recipe called for 10 ounces. I figured two ounces wouldn't make much of a difference but the sauce definitely needed more cheese. Oh well...live and learn.

Swedish Meatballs over Egg Noodles

I love making Swedish meatballs whenever I have some ground beef to use up. It's a simple recipe and since you can bake the meatballs it requires very little effort.


I always serve the meatballs with the sauce over egg noodles.

Florentine Turkey Meatballs

I've always liked this recipe for Florentine Turkey Meatballs. I've been craving spinach so when I was planning the menu this week I put them on it.


The recipe I used, from 365: Everyday with Rachael Ray, called for 2 packages of ground turkey so I ended up with leftover meatballs and sauce, which I froze for later. I served the meatballs over egg noodles tossed with butter. A delicious, easy meal.

Florentine Turkey Meatballs
Rachael Ray

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 1/3 pound (1 package) ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups milk, divided
¾ cup bread crumbs, 3 handfuls
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 palm fulls
Coarse salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 (10-ounce) sack shredded provolone or blend of Italian cheeses, available on dairy aisle
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
Egg noodles, cooked and tossed with butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onion, all of the garlic, 1 large egg, about 1/4 cup milk, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 12 large balls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

While balls are in the oven, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter, add remaining finely chopped onion and cook 2 minutes then whisk in flour. Cook flour 1 minute, then whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup stock. Bring liquid up to a boil then stir in shredded provolone or blended Italian cheeses. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, turn heat to lowest setting.

Place egg noodles on a plate. Top with meatballs and sauce, garnish with parsley.

Cooking for a New Baby

Our next-door neighbors and good friends had their second daughter earlier this week. I thought it would be nice to bring over some food since I can imagine cooking is low on the priority list at the moment. The timing happened to work perfectly since they were coming home from the hospital on Friday and we were off from work that day. We woke up early and got busy in the kitchen making mac & cheese:


... meatballs and sauce:


... and pulled pork with SP's famous BBQ sauce:


Just look at how moist the pork was:


This was after it fell completely apart when I took it out of the crock pot. I knew it was going to be good when I saw it had bones and a nice cap of fat. SP snuck a few tastes and said it was sensational.

I hope everyone likes the food. We had a great time making it! Congrats K, D and Big Sister A on the birth of Baby E!

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Cheesy Garlic Bread

Remember the last time I made spaghetti and meatballs how I made enough meatballs to freezer some for future meals? Well this week seemed like the perfect time to use some of those meatballs for an easy weeknight dinner:


SP made his sauce on Sunday and we cooked the meatballs in the sauce (just put them in frozen) until they heated through and transferred everything to a container. When I got home I put water on for the pasta and heated the sauce in a pot over low heat. Then it was just a matter of assembling and serving:


I also had half a ciabatta in the freezer so I made cheesy garlic bread:


... with mozzarella, cheddar and Pecorino cheeses and a garlic butter using garlic, salt and parsley. It was a sensational meal and super easy to get on the table on a weeknight. I love meals like this!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We wanted a hearty, comforting dinner on Sunday, so we turned to an old favorite, spaghetti and meatballs:


SP was in charge of the sauce and I have to say, this batch was one of the best he's ever made. It certainly surpasses anything I've ever had in a restaurant. It was so good I can't even put it into words. It had just the right consistency, tangy but sweet, not too acidic...just perfect in every way. I made the meatballs using my usual recipe and fried them in a little oil:


... before they finished cooking in the sauce while the pasta cooked:


We also had some crusty bread slathered with butter to sop up all the gorgeous sauce:


The sauce was so good we ate all the slices I cut and SP went back for another. And the best part is I made a huge batch of meatballs so we have enough for 2 more meals in the freezer.

Meatballs
Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

1/2 pound ground pork (I use meatloaf mix)
1/2 pound ground beef (I use meatloaf mix)
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, and more to taste
Flour (for coating)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, crumble the pork and beef (or meatloaf mix). Sprinkle with bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, the parsley, and garlic.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the meat mixture. With your hands, work the meat until it is evenly blended. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dredge the meatballs in flour until they are lightly coated.

In a large heavy-bottom skillet, heat the olive and vegetable oils. When the oil is hot, place as many meatballs in the pan as you can without crowding. Fry for about 6 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pan to drain on papertowels. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook, stirring gently, for 30 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Meatball Subs

Our freezer is offically bare. This was the last of the meat, 2 pounds of ground beef turned into meatballs for meatball subs:


I didn't feel like frying the meatballs so I baked them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The sauce was simply tomatoes, onion and garlic seasoned with a little red pepper flake and oregano. The meatballs were made by mixing the beef with onions, garlic, parsley, an egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and grated cheese. I could have used another egg to make them a little softer. I usually make my meatballs with meatloaf mix (beef, pork and veal) so these seemed a little lacking, but overall they were pretty good.

I filled the rolls with some sauce, sliced meatballs and topped with more sauce and some mozzarella cheese. Yum!