Grandma’s Meatballs

For parents, spaghetti and meatballs represent a simple meal option that will typically satisfy the picky eating child(ren) in their lives.  For said picky eating child - spaghetti and meatballs is a lifestyle.  The sloppiness paired with a prepubescent boy’s insatiable urge to ingest their daily fix of marinara sauce made this dish a staple in my household, as well as my grandmother’s.

Aside from instant ramen and pizza rolls - meatballs were the first thing I showed any semblance of desire to cook.  Learning that the process involved handling a mushy, raw meat mixture with your bare hands was gross enough to pique my interest at a very young age.  Unfortunately, I was too young to have the wherewithal to write down Grandma’s recipe - so I’m left with this Beverly x Epic Mealtime crossover…which honestly sums up my prime spaghetti eating year’s pretty damn well.

NOTE: Yes, I bake my meatballs.  The meat mixture is fatty enough where frying them in old/burnt olive oil is overkill in my opinion.  While they’ll be gray/not crispy when they come out of the oven, you will not notice any issues with texture, color, or flavor when they simmer in your sauce all morning/afternoon.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Beef, Pork, Veal Mix

• ½ Small White Onion (diced small enough where children won’t realize they’re there)

• 1 Cup Dried Breadcrumbs

• ½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

• ½ Cup Milk

• ¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 TSP Salt

• 1 TSP Garlic Powder

• 2 TSP Italian Seasoning or Oregano

• 2 TBSP Freshly Chopped Parsley

• ¼ TSP Crushed Red Pepper (more if you like ‘em spicy)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl - combine breadcrumb, milk, and parmesan cheese into “wet-sand” like mixture (panade).

2. Add in meat, along with ALL of the remaining ingredients.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.

   • PRO TIP:  Parsley is Green.  Use this as a visual aid/tracer bullet to make sure your mix is properly…mixed.

3. Due to your meat hands, ask someone to preheat your oven to 400 F.

4. Roll your mix into balls of desired size/preference and place evenly in a large, glass baking dish.

5. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 20-24 minutes (depending on ball size) or until internal temperature of thicker balls reaches at least 145 degrees.

6. Shake off excess grease and transfer balls into a large pot of your sauce.  Simmer on low for as long as possible, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of your pot.

Best Enjoyed with family, friends, and football fans.