Meatballs - a Family Favorite
Meatballs
Meatballs
Meatballs have long been a standard in home cooking. They are sure to satisfy even the most ferocious appetite and stretch your food dollar at the same time.
For young, new cooks or beginners that don't know exactly what meatballs are made of or how they're prepared; they're usually ground meat, seasonings, spices and sometimes other food ingredients added. Then they are formed into round ball shapes before cooking.
While there are many ways to make these delicious appetite pleasers ; I will list a few of my family favorites, beginning with the basic recipe.
Basic - Simple Meatball recipe
This basic meatball recipe is made with ground beef. It's simple yet delicious and can be served alone or with a variety of creamy sauces.
You can make them any size you like but keep in mind that the larger the meatball, the longer the cooking time. I generally form my meatballs into a round shape about 1 1/2" in diameter. This takes less time to cook through and the finished product looks appealing to the eye and appetizing.
Don't be afraid to use your hands during the mixing and shape forming of the meat. Simply wash your hands before you start and when you're finished. Remember, our parents, grandparents and ancestors didn't have all the kitchen gadgets we have available today and they did just fine. If the thought of handling raw meat just grosses you out, use disposable plastic gloves.
Basic Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef, ground
- 1/2 cup saltine crackers or bread crumbs, crushed or crumbled fine
- 1 egg, large
- 1 clove garlic, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt, table
- 1/8 tsp. pepper, ground black
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
Instructions
- 1. In a large mixing bowl; add the meat, then add the salt, pepper, onion, crackers and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. I prefer to use my hands for mixing the ingredients together. 2. pinch off pieces and form into about 1 1/2" balls. 3. Place the meatballs on a sheet of aluminum foil, cutting board or cookie sheet.
- 4. In a large skillet; add 3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil and turn heat on medium. 5. Brown meatballs on all sides. 6. If you plan to serve the meatballs with a sauce, remove and place them on a plate with a paper towel or you can use a metal colander to put them in. 7. (if you are serving the meatballs without any sauce reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until done. I like mine well done and this usually takes about 6 minutes until completely done after browning. You can check by piercing with fork, if the juice is clear it's done. 8. If using a sauce, you can now drain the excess oils out of the skillet or use a clean skillet to add your choice of sauce. 9. Next, place the meatballs in the sauce on high heat. Let come to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. 10. Let cook an additional 8 minutes until meatballs are completely done.
Variations to the Basic Meatball Recipe
1. For changing it up a bit, use the basic recipe but mix only 3 parts Ground Beef and 1 part ground pork. Then follow the usual recipe and directions.
2. Another delicious recipe is to use 1/3 part ground turkey, 1/3 ground pork and 1/3 ground pork.
3. If you're a cheese lover, try cutting your favorite cheese into 1/2" squares. After forming the meatball, press and Insert 1 cheese square into the center of each meatball, then reshape the meatball around the cheese. Then proceed with the directions above for browning and cooking.
4. Try adding 1/2 of a large green bell pepper, chopped fine to your favorite meat mix.
Swedish Meatballs
1 pound ground beef 1 cup of finely crumbled breadcrumbs 1/4 onion- finely chopped 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup milk AND... 2 tablespoons flour 1 can beef broth 2 tablespoon butter 1 cup of light cream or half and half In a large mixing bowl; add the milk, onions, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Stir to mix. Next add the breadcrumbs and meat. Gently mix. Form into 1 1/2" balls In skillet on medium heat add the butter, let melt and immediately add meatballs. Brown well on all sides, then remove from skillet with a slotted spoon. Drain off excess oils from the skillet, leaving just about 2 tablespoons. On med heat; Add the flour to the oil in the skillet and stir constantly, about 1 minute. Next add the beef broth and cream. Continue cooking stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to medium low add the meat balls and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Enjoy your Sweedish meatballs!
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