These meatballs are so tasty, so moist, and 10 times better than store bought. The nice thing about them is you can make A LOT of them at once and freeze them!
Italian Meatballs - makes 14-20 depending on size
1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
1 lb. mild Italian sausage or ground pork
3 cups bread crumbs (Italian or plain)
2 eggs
4 oz cream cheese
¼ cup whole milk
½ cup chopped white onion
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh oregano
½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil drizzle
32 oz marinara or similar sauce
In a food processor combine onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and pecorino Romano. Drizzle with very little olive oil. Process mixture until it is smooth and sticky, but not completely blended. In a large bowl add mixture to ground beef and sausage. Add salt and pepper, and mix well (5-8 minutes). Add eggs, cream cheese, and milk to bowl and again mix thoroughly. You may have to squeeze the cream cheese through your hand to avoid any large chunks in the mixture. Add half of the bread crumbs, mix, then add the other half of the bread crumbs and mix again. Once the bread crumbs start to bind the mixture together, you can knead it like dough to ensure ingredients are well spread and incorporated.
Roll out balls onto a cooking spray covered baking sheet. Meatballs should be anywhere from about 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter (from about the size of an apricot to a peach). Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes until meatballs reach 155°F internally. Baking time may vary depending on size of meatballs.
In a large skillet, heat up marinara sauce. Once brought to temperature, add meatballs and spoon sauce over the top of them. Cover and simmer until meatballs reach 165°F internally, about 5 minutes.
Serve with pasta, or plate with marinara and grated pecorino Romano over top, and garnish with fresh chopped or whole basil.
5 окт 2024
