Meatball recipes

Here's one of my favorite recipes that my family has been using - I think we got it from a middle school cookbook:

- 2 lbs of beef
- 8 slices of dry bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup parmesan
- 1/4 cup snipped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- dash of pepper

Moisten bread with water - then combine with meat.

Combine rest of ingredients.

Use 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil to cook meatballs.

Your pictures are great. Makes me hungry!!

I bake my meatballs on a sheetpan in the oven. So much less messy and they brown evenly.

That is just about the same recipe I use.  My only changes are bread crumbs instead of bread and only 2 eggs.  I never measure anything though, I just mix it by eye.  I just started using the parmesan cheese this past year.  What a difference it made.

I made them last night and they went before I got to make the sauce and pasta. I make a couple to see how they come out before making the whole batch.  If it passes my son Ryan's taste test I know I am good.  

Maybe next time I will use your measurements so its not a guessing game.

Thanks for posting it.

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs With Lemony Yogurt Sauce are the world champion.

I like to bake my meatballs rather than fry them. Easier and less messy. And I think they come out more tender this way, but I can't swear to it. But I do like a nice tender meatball.

Also, meatballs needs some raisins. When they're cooked, you can't taste the raisin, it just leaves a little pocket of sweetness inside, which really complements the tomato sauce, I think.

I use the Frank Spuntino recipe, though I ignore the 90% lean. More fat is better.

https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/frankies-meatballs-29105

• 4 slices plain white bread, torn into large pieces (about 2 packed cups)
• 2 pounds ground beef (90 percent lean, no fattier)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 15 turns freshly ground white pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup dried plain breadcrumbs
• 12 cups (3 quarts) tomato sauce, such as our Basic Tomato Sauce (see Game Plan note)

lamb fritters at the end of this page of yumm-o Aussie classics, worth a try

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/19/great-australian-cookbook-kangaroo-san-choy-bau-and-roast-lamb-fritters

I'm Italian and I made the last batch of meatballs in my instapot. I will never fry another meatball again. 

Did you brown them in the instapot first, or just put them raw in the sauce?

eta: or maybe I should just ask for the recipe you used.

joy said:

I'm Italian and I made the last batch of meatballs in my instapot. I will never fry another meatball again. 

Not @joy, but I have had great success making Instant Pot meatballs. You can brown them using the sautee function if you like, but I've cooked them in the sauce without browning first. 

Here is an amazing IP recipe for light, spicy marinara sauce (don't leave out the fish sauce, it does not taste fishy).

And here is an article on basic IP meatball in sauce technique.

Raw in the sauce. Cooked 10 mins. They were out of this world. Did try to saute them at first - but ended up burning one and now have a scorch mark on the pot. 

Me too

marylago said:

I bake my meatballs on a sheetpan in the oven. So much less messy and they brown evenly.

I do the same. No recipe. 

I use Less egg (1-2), breadcrumbs, more parmesean, a little milk, finely diced onion. The past year or two, I’ve started using the pork, veal, beef blend and have liked them better that way. 

EricBurbank said:

That is just about the same recipe I use.  My only changes are bread crumbs instead of bread and only 2 eggs.  I never measure anything though, I just mix it by eye.  I just started using the parmesan cheese this past year.  What a difference it made.

I made them last night and they went before I got to make the sauce and pasta. I make a couple to see how they come out before making the whole batch.  If it passes my son Ryan's taste test I know I am good.  

Maybe next time I will use your measurements so its not a guessing game.

Thanks for posting it.