Meatballs With Spaetzle Food

FOODIEEXTRAVAGANZA: #OKTOBERFEST - GERMAN MEATBALLS AND SPAETZLE

Steps:

• 1. First prepare the meatballs by combining the ground beef, egg, milk, bread crumbs, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Form into 1 ½ inch balls, about 24 in total.
• 2. Place meatballs in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Drain any fat. Add the beef broth, mushrooms and onions to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, flour and caraway seeds, stirring until fully combined. (*For a saucier meatball, double this portion.)
• 4. Add the sour cream mixture to the meatballs and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover.
• 5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• 6. To prepare the spaetzle, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Alternating, slowly add in the beaten eggs and milk, stirring until a firm, elastic dough is formed.
• 7. Transfer the dough into a spaetzle maker and drop into the boiling water. Spaetzle are done when they float to the top.
• 8. Use a strainer or slotted spoon to remove from the water and place in a large bowl. Add the butter and garlic powder and stir until all are coated.
• 9. Divide the spaetzle mixture onto plates. Divide the meatball mixture and place on top of the spaetzle. Serve immediately.

THE BEST SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Whisk together the panko, Parmesan, parsley, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in the cream.
• Combine the beef, pork and veal in a large bowl. Pull the ground meat apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the meat without compacting it until thoroughly mixed and no clumps remain. Add the panko mixture to the meat and use the same pulling technique to mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
• Lightly oil your hands. Scoop out portions of the meat mixture with a 1/4-cup measuring cup or large ice cream scoop; roll the meat gently between your hands into balls. Arrange the balls on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning and rolling occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total; remove to a plate. The meatballs will not be cooked through; they will finish cooking in the sauce. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste is brick red, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and basil to the sauce, smashing and breaking up the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon. Bring the sauce just to a boil, and then add the meatballs with any accumulated juices. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain well.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Discard the basil and season with salt.
• Add the pasta to the sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving platter and top with the meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

GERMAN MEATBALLS WITH SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Cook spaetzle according to package directions. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the meatballs, broth, mushroom pieces, and chopped onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine, stirring well, the sour cream, flour, and caraway seeds. Stir into meatballs mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook one minute longer.
• Spoon meatballs over the spaetzle and garnish with chopped parsley.

GERMAN MEATBALLS AND SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Begin with the German meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and shape into about 24 (1 1/2-inch round) meatballs. Brown the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure to drain well as you cook the meaty mixture. Add beef broth, mushrooms, and onion. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
• In a small mixing bowl, blend sour cream, flour, and caraway seed. Add to the simmering broth and meatballs.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, prepare the spaetzle by sifting together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and milk and beat well. Place in a coarse-sieved colander and sieve (pushing the batter through the holes of the colander) directly over a rapidly boiling pot of lightly salted water. Cook for about 5 minutes, drain.
• Sprinkle spaetzle with a mixture of fine breadcrumbs, garlic powder and melted butter.
• Place a large portion of the spaetzle on a serving platter and hollow out a well in the center. Spoon meatballs and sauce in the center of the spaetzle and serve warm.

MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the panko and milk until combined. Set mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Add the ground beef, ground pork, garlic, eggs, Parmesan, fresh herbs, onion and Worcestershire sauce to the (same) mixing bowl. Sprinkle the oregano, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined, being careful not to over-mix the ingredients.
• To make the meatballs easier to form, I recommend covering and chilling the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour. But if you're pressed for time, you can skip this step.
• Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop and roll the mixture into 2-tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. (I recommend greasing your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the mixture from sticking.)
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer measures the internal temperature of the meatballs to be 160°F. Remove pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
• Serve meatballs immediately and enjoy!

SLOW COOKER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste and red wine. In a bowl, stir together the panko, parsley, Parmesan, grated onion, eggs, milk, garlic, vinegar and red-pepper flakes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
• Add the sausage and ground beef to the panko mixture, and gently mix using your hands just until all the ingredients are uniformly combined. (Don't overmix, or you'll end up with tough meatballs.) Form the mixture into 7 (3-inch) gently packed meatballs, and place them in the slow cooker. (They should fit snugly in one layer.) Pour the crushed tomatoes all over the top of the meatballs, then add the basil sprigs to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling, salted water and drain. Increase the slow cooker heat to high. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs to a bowl. Discard the basil sprigs from the sauce. If there is more oil on the surface of the sauce than you'd like, use a ladle to skim it off and discard it. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs back to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Serve the spaghetti and meatballs with more grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves for topping.

KONIGSBERGER KLOPSE (GERMAN MEATBALLS IN CREAMY CAPER SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat broth ingredients (stock, bay leaf, cider vinegar, white wine, peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons capers) to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, combine meatball ingredients, mix well.
• Form meat mixture into golf-ball sized balls (note: mixture will be a bit sticky and delicate to work with, but this is normal, and the result will be a moist and tender meatball!). Roll them in flour, and carefully place into hot broth; simmer each batch for 15 minutes, but do not boil. (Tip: do not crowd meatballs, ie only simmer about 10-12 meatballs at a time). Note that the broth will thicken as you add the flour covered meatballs, which will make a nice sauce.
• Carefully remove meatballs from the hot broth with a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in a covered bowl stored in the oven while making the sauce. Discard bay leaf.
• To Make Cream Sauce:.
• To hot broth stir in the sauce ingredients and heat through, but do not boil.
• Add the cooked meatballs to the heated sauce, stir gently and warm through.
• To Serve:.
• Serve Meatballs and Cream Sauce with boiled new potatoes (salzkartoffel) or hot buttered spaetzle noodles, and German Rotkohl recipe #108449. Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley, for garnish.
• To Serve as an Appetizer:.
• Make the meatballs smaller and serve warm from the crock pot with toothpicks, buttered rolls and potato salad recipe #309891.
• Freezes well.