The Incredible Meatball

Right off the bat, you know this is a special meatball because it’s referred to in the single tense.  We’re not talking about plural ‘meatballs’, just ‘meatball’.  It’s that good.

I started making these several months ago and they now have worked themselves into a bi-monthly appearance in my meal planning. I’m big for doubling recipes and putting something in the freezer when possible, and these darlings perfectly fit that bill.

I’ll come clean right off the bat and tell you that there is bread in these meatballs.  Once again, while I don’t consume bread, pasta or cereal often, there is a place for bread occasionally in my diet.  And truthfully, this meatball is one of those places.

One of these meatballs, with a simple marinara, a nice green salad and possibly some garlic bread on the side is all you need for a filling and satisfying meal.  In preparing for this post, I tried to find adjectives that really described these meatballs.  One of the words that came to mind was ‘sublime’, another one was ‘satisfying’.   The ricotta cheese makes the flavor and texture oh so sublime, while the ground beef, onions, bread and garlic make them satisfying.  I still haven’t found the exact wording, you just need to give them a whirl and write me your suggestions.  My oh so clever husband decided they should be called ‘sublime and da man’ (‘supply and demand’…get it?  He’s a financial nerd, what can I say?).

The Incredible Meatball

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A sublime, yet hearty meatball.

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef, I used a 85/15 beef
• 2 cups bread, broken into small pieces
• 2 TB milk
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs. beaten
• 2 TB dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

Simple Marinara Sauce

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 15 oz cans Whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 4 stems of basil
• 8 cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil
3. Soak bread in milk
4. Add to remaining ingredients in a large bowl
5. I find it's easier and more efficient (if not a bit yucky) to mix the all the ingredients with my hands.
6. Once thoroughly mixed, form 8 balls and place on a parchment paper lined, rimmed pan.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature is 160'
8. Serve on a plate with Marinara Sauce and Parmesan Cheese(optional)

Simple Marinara Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat
2. Crush tomatoes with your hands over the pot, adding all liquid from the can
3. Add your basil and whole garlic cloves
4. Let simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
5. At the end of the hour, crush garlic cloves in sauce. I used a potato masher
6. I leave the basil in as long as possible, but feel free to pull it out. I actually froze the leftover sauce with the basil in the sauce.

Did you make this recipe?

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