The Easiest Baked Meatballs

            Loaded with Italian flavor, like meatballs should have, juicy and tender, these meatballs will take less than an hour from start to finish. For me, Sundays were the day of a big pot of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove, and watching my Mom roll all those meatballs so we could eat them so fast, you would think we had not eaten in a week.

Honestly, frozen meatballs are a trend now, due to the misconception that meatballs take all day to make. That is so far from the truth!!

            Meatballs are also very versatile choices for meals. You have meatballs for spaghetti, gravy and meatballs with potatoes, Meatball submarine sandwich and many others.

I like to do a double batch and freeze half, that way if I am super busy one week, I can pull them out and have them ready in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions:

            How long should I cook them?

Surprisingly, meatballs do not take very long to cook. They would be done in 20 minutes or when a meat thermometer reads 165* when put in the center. This will keep them from drying out and falling apart.

            How can I store these?

This recipe could make up to 3 dozen meatballs, depending on the size you choose to make them. You will likely want to store some of them. To store in the refrigerator, set them to the side to cool. Do not place them in the sauce. When they are room temperature, place them in an airtight container or zipper lock bag. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Storing in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the freezer, will keep them for up to 3 months.

             How do I reheat these?

I usually let them thaw out overnight in the refrigerator, then in a pot with my favorite sauce or gravy for that meal, I let them slowly simmer to warm up.

What do you need to make The Easiest Baked Meatballs

            ½ pound veal, ground

            ½ pound pork, ground

            1 pound ground beef

            2 cups homemade bread crumbs made from stale bread

            ¾ cup milk      

            1 small onion diced

            4 cloves minced garlic

            2 large eggs beaten

            2 tbsp chopped basil

            2 tbsp chopped parsley

            2 tsp Italian seasoning

            ¾ tsp salt

            ½ tsp ground pepper

            1 cup Parmesan, grated

How to make The Easiest Baked Meatballs

FIRST STEP:

Preheat the oven to 400*

Grease two baking sheets with cooking spray

SECOND STEP:

Using stale bread, tear each slice into chunks and put in the processor. Pulse once or twice to get a good crumb size, enough to make 2 cups of crumbs

Combine these crumbs in a bowl with the milk, stir to moisten and let stand 5 minutes

a)

b)

c)

Also add to the bowl the garlic, onion, italian seasoning, cheese, eggs, basil and parsley

a)

b)

c)

THIRD STEP:

After five minutes, add the beef, pork and veal.

a)

b)

c)

FOURTH STEP:

Stir everything together to thoroughly combine

Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray so the meat does not stick

FIFTH STEP:

Grab some mix and roll into meatballs about 1 ½ inches thick

Bake for 10 minutes, flip the meatballs over and bake for another 8 minutes

SIXTH STEP:

Test the meatballs by choosing the biggest one, or the one in the center.

Stick a meat thermometer into the center. The meatballs are done when the thermometer reads 165*

Enjoy!