Looking for the BEST Italian MeatBall Recipe?

Question

Do you have one?

Answer 1

Mom's Meatballs for Spaghetti [and they are GOOD! Mom has been making them for 35+ years, and the entire family loves them.]

Ingredients:
8 slices French or Italian bread
1/2 cup milk, any percent
4 pounds ground meat - beef or turkey
1 pound Italian sausage (or turkey sausage)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 or 3 eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tablespoons dried crushed oregano
1 Tablespoon lemon peel
salt and pepper

Tear bread into small pieces, pour milk over and allow to soak for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour. Put on mixer and beat up. Add eggs, cheese, seasonings and beat thoroughly. Remove casing from sausage and add to bread/milk mix. Beat thoroughly. In separate large bowl, break up the ground meat, and pour sausage/bread mixture over it. Mix thoroughly, but try not to compact it alot. Chill for an hour or so, covered.

Heat oven to 400 F. Form about 1" to 1 1/4" meatballs, place close together on a 'jelly-roll' type pan. They should not touch. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until done. The cheese starts to melt out, and if you push on the top of one it is no longer squishy, but softly firm and bounces back. To be absolutely sure, cut one open. Meat should be cooked all the way through.

Remove tray from oven and drain on lots of thicknesses of paper towel.

Figure 4 to 5 meatballs per person, per meal. So if there are 2 of you, package 8 to 10 meatballs in a freezer baggy and freeze.

See spaghetti sauce below - or make a rich brown gravy, add meatballs and serve over German fried noodles, seasoned with crumbs, butter, parsley, sauted shallots, etc. This is another quickie meal, since the meatballs are pre-cooked and ready to go.

I make it with 4 pounds of meat, because it is almost imporssible to buy Italian sausage in anything except 1 lb. packages. But the meatballs keep well, as long as they are kept well frozen!!! I always make the full recipe, split the meatballs into groups of 14-16 and then freeze. Talk about an easy, fast, GOOD dinner when you need it.

NOTE: Note, you can easily cut this recipe in half. Use 1 egg, 2 lbs of grnd meat and 1/2 lb of sausage, etc.


Spaghetti Sauce [in case you don't want something from a jar]

Ingredients:
1 14 1/2 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 10 3/4 oz can of tomato PUREE
1 finely minced shallot saute first
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil leaves
salt and pepper

Saute shallots in a little olive oil until transluscent. In medium saucepan, dump cans of tomatoes and puree. Add shallots and seasonings. Alter to taste. Cook over low heat for about 1/2 hour, or until it is of the thickness one desires. Add meatballs. Heat through. Serve over drained spaghetti [or any pasta].

Use larger cans of tomato: 29 oz, double the seasonings etc. Remainder can be frozen if desired. Then you can have dinner in a hurry one night. While you boil the water for the pasta, reheat frozen sauce in microwave, add frozen meatballs and put over low heat, until noodles are ready. Voila! dinner.

Enjoy!

Answer 2

I love meatballs! : )


Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

(5 servings)

1 x -----------sauce------------
2 x Cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c Minced parsley
28 oz Crushed tomatoes
1/2 c Chicken stock
2 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
1 x ---------meatballs----------
1 lb Ground chuck
1/2 c Freshly grated romano
3 tb Minced parsley
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 c Olive oil
3/4 c Chopped onion
2 tb Olive oil
1 ts Dried basil, crumbled
6 oz Tomatoe paste
1/4 c Dry red wine
2 tb Freshly grated romano
1/2 ts Oregano, crumbled
2 ea Slices bread, soaked
2 ea Large eggs, beaten lightly
1 ea Clove garlic, minced
1 ts Dried oregano
1 x Ground black pepper


Instructions

SAUCE: In a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes, add the parsley, the basil, the tomatoes, the tomato paste, the stock, the wine, the sugar, the romano, the salt and the oregano, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. MEATBALLS: In a bowl combine well the bread, squeezed, the chuck, the eggs, the romano, the parsley, the garlic, the oregano, the salt, and the pepper and form the mixture into 10 meatballs. In a large skillet brown the meatballs in the oil over high heat, turning them often. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce with a slotted spoon and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. The dish improves in flavour if it is cooled and chilled, covered, overnight or up to 2 days.

Answer 3

Italian Meatballs
After searching for a meatball recipe for ages, I finally came up with this one and it's a hit. Great in spaghetti, meatball hoagies, etc. They also freeze well after cooking.
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
olive oil
8 servings

1. If using oven method- preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Mix by hand until all ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Spread a little olive oil on cookie sheet to coat.
4. Form meatballs and place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake about 15 minute.
6. Turn meatballs and bake 10-15 minute longer.
7. Use in your favorite Italian recipe.
8. * These can also be pan-fried in olive oil on Med. to Med-Hi if you prefer.
9. Cook's note: After baking, the meatballs can be frozen. In order to keep them from freezing together, pre-freeze on a cookie sheet spaced apart. When frozen, place in freezer bags for later use. Then just use as many as you want. They can be thawed but I just put them into my sauce frozen and simmer until thawed.

Easy and Yummie!!!

Answer 4

This is mine and yes you may use it:)

These are the absolute best!

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dried basil
2-3 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
6 tomato paste cans (36 oz.) water
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese


Serves 8


For Meatballs


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use hands to thoroughly mix everything together. Form meatballs, approximately 1 1/2" in diameter, by rolling between your palms. If meat mixture is too wet or sticky, add more bread crumbs to the mix. Makes 35-40 meatballs.

For Sauce
Heat oil, onion and garlic. Carefully remove garlic and onion and put in large saucepan. Add water, tomato sauce and tomato paste to garlic and onion. Mix well. Add basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan cheese and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Makes enough sauce for two family size servings (family size = 4 adults or 2 adults and 4 children with leftovers).
The Meal


Bring sauce and meatballs to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes. Meatballs can be simmered as long as 3 hours, the longer they are simmered the better. 15 minutes before meatballs are done, cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and place in a warm serving dish; set aside. When noodles are done, drain and rinse according to package directions. Pour noodles into serving bowl and toss with a couple of handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese. This adds not only a wonderful flavor to your spaghetti, but it also helps hold the sauce on the noodles. Add enough sauce to coat but do not make your spaghetti swim! Serve topped with meatballs and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

This is a bit involved with the ingredients, but it is worth it.
ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork or lamb ( or more ground beef)
2 slices of bread soaked in milk ) put in a bowl, add about 1/2 cup milk and when ready wring out the bread) and break into tiny pieces
1/2 cup seasoned italian bread crumbs
1/4 grated parm cheese
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons mixed italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. wet your hands and roll into balls the size of a walnut. Chill for 1 hour in the fridge. You can then bake them at 425, for about 35 minutes, or you can fry them in a pan on the stove top. Then add them to your favorite sauce or serve over pasta. I make a double batch, then after they are cooked, i freeze them on a sheet pan, and then put into baggies and store. They are wonderful and i hope you enjoy them

Answer 6

No...., I have two!

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 C dry bread crumbs
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 sml onion chopped (1/4 cup)
1 lg egg

Heat oven to 400 F.

mix all ingreds. in mix-bowl. shape into 1 1/2 " balls, place in 13X9" pan or broiler pan.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 Min's.

SKILLET MEATBALLS :

Place balls of meat in a 10 in. skillet, cook over med. heat about 20 Min's. or until done.

You can also use ground turkey or chicken for more healthy meat balls.

Enjoy!

Answer 7

The best is the one you are inspired to make yourself. Then keep it as a family recipe. Experiement, try sausage, try ground meat, spices . . . fresh tomatoes. You make it your own, and then it's Mamma Mia the BEST!

Answer 8

check out martha stewarts web site. i will email you a copy of a real good recipe later

Answer 9

To participate any cookery contest?

Answer 10

you can really add whatever ingredients you'd like....but the secret is....uncooked ones are the bomb diggity