Weeknight Meatballs
Yield: 22 to 24 small (about 1.5-inch or 1.5 tablespoon) meatballs. Β To ensure the meatballs are all an equal size, I first portion them out using a small ice-cream scoop and then roll them.
Donβt let the photo fool you, these meatballs can be used for a lot more than justΒ spaghetti & meatballsΒ (although, thatβs a very good option!). You can also use this recipe as a starting point for Asian inspiredΒ Sweet & Sour MeatballsΒ β but in that case, you can hold the parmesan cheese and supplement the milk with coconut milk.
Weeknight Meatballs
Ingredients
1Β pound Leppβs ground beef (You can use a mix of beef and pork)
2/3 cupΒ fresh bread crumbs orΒ 1/2 cupΒ panko
1/3 cupΒ milk or water
2 tablespoonsΒ finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoonsΒ finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)
1 teaspoonΒ coarse or kosher salt
A pinch of red pepper flakes or few grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoonΒ onion powder
2Β large eggs
1Β garlic clove, minced
Instructions
Place meat, crumbs, milk or water, parsley, cheese (if using), 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs and minced garlic in a large bowl. Mix all of this together with a fork, which does a good job of breaking up the eggs and chunks of meat or use your hands. Form mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-inch meatballs, and arrange on a plate. Set in fridge for 30 minutes, which helps them hold their shape.
To help form meatballs into a smooth ball, lightly oil your hands, adding another drop or two half-way, or rinse them in between a few times with cold water.
If youβre planning toΒ use these in a marinara sauceΒ for spaghetti, or an open meatball sandwich on garlic bread, then thereβs no need to bake them β theyβll cook right in the sauce. Go ahead andΒ skip over to this recipeΒ now.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
