Moms Italian Meatballs Food

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
• Roll into 1 1/2" balls and place them closely together in 9x13 pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. **You can place a wire rack on the baking sheet and bake the meatballs on the rack so that the fat drips down if you'd like.**
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve the meatballs immediately with sauce and spaghetti, put them in the slow cooker along with sauce to have them simmer, or freeze the meatballs in Ziploc bags to use another time.
• If you freeze the meatballs, allow them to cool completely before packaging them.

MOM'S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine the beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, grated garlic, Pecorino Romano, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Roll into meatballs slightly larger than golf balls, setting them on baking sheets as you work.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until it shimmers. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, saute the meatballs, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer from the pan back to the baking sheet.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion to the pan, and saute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, stir, and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine, increase the heat, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 of the basil leaves, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the meatballs along with any accumulated juices. Simmer, partially covered, until the flavors come together, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in two batches in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and serve with the meatballs and sauce ladled on top. Garnish with torn basil and freshly grated Pecorino-Romano.

MOM'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. meatballs (about 36). In a large skillet over medium heat, brown meatballs in batches. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pan., For gravy, stir flour into drippings; cook over medium-high heat until light brown (do not burn). Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Stir in the consomme, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Reduce heat to medium-low; return meatballs to pan. Cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; toss with butter. Serve with meatball mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.
• Use your bare hands for best results.
• Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball. (wet your hands to prevent the meat from sticking to them while rolling the meat balls).
• Drop raw meatballs into large (I use a stock pot) pot of sauce.
• (I have an incredible sauce recipe {#92096} I use for my meatballs).
• Simmer for about 3 hours.

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• Place carrots in bottom of slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, use hands or a fork to gently combine meatball ingredients. Form meat mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Place meatballs on top of carrots in the slow cooker.
• In a separate bowl, combine tomato paste, broth, marinara, seasoned salt, oregano, and basil. Pour over meatballs.
• Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or on HIGH for about 2 hours. For a thinner soup rather than a stew, add extra broth until it reaches desired consistency.
• Steam vegetables in microwave just until crisp-tender (about 3-4 minutes). Stir vegetables into stew and serve over pasta or rice, if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil.

MOM'S BEST SUNDAY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl. Soak a loaf of Italian bread for about 3 minutes.
• Remove bread from the water. Remove the crust and discard, leaving only the inside dough.
• Use your hands and squeeze all liquid from the bread. Transfer bread to a large bowl.
• Combine bread with ground beef, eggs, cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and parsley.
• Mix with your hands to combine well, or use your food processor. Using a spoon to mix will not work. The mixture will be very sticky. Best to wash your hands before shaping them into meatballs.
• Scoop a small amount of meat mixture into your hand and roll into 2-inch balls. Transfer each meatball onto a sheet of wax paper. Set them aside.
• On the stovetop, using a deep medium-size skillet, pour oil.
• Heat oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add a few meatballs and fry until the bottom is crispy brown. Gently turn meatballs over once and continue until crispy brown.
• Remove meatballs from the pan and drain onto a platter lined with paper towels.
• Repeat until all meatballs are fully cooked.
• Eat them alone, fried or place them into your Tomato Sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes to one hour. Using a spoon, gently remove the meatballs, transfer them onto a platter and serve.
• Yields: about 20 meatballs
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, and basil, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
• Then add only one can of tomatoes (blended) to the onions to prevent the onions from burning while cooking. (This is a trick my husband learned from his mom). Occasionally stirring. Continue to simmer the onions on low heat for another 15 minutes.
• Then add in the rest of the tomatoes and salt. Cover and raise the heat to bring to the sauce a boil. Lower the heat again, and continue to simmer the sauce on low heat.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer for an additional hour, occasionally stirring the sauce. The total cooking time should be about 1 and ½ hours. Taste the sauce. Turn off the heat. Allow the sauce to cool down slightly.
• Yields: 3 quarts

MOM'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Soak bread in some water for 2 or 3 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
• Combine bread with everything else except olive oil, mixing well.
• Form in small balls (about 20).
• Brown slowly in oil, watching closely to prevent scorching.
• Add to spaghetti sauce.
• Cook 30 minutes in the sauce.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Place ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Then, use a large wooden spoon or your hands to thoroughly mix, combining all ingredients. I recommend using your hands as it's faster and easier.
• Once combined, heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron over medium heat.
• Use a standard-size cookie scoop to scoop meat into your hands. Then, form into a ball and place on the skillet. Repeat until there is no meat left. You should get around 16 medium-size meatballs.
• Brown meatballs on all sides for around 8 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to flip each meatball, being careful not to burn the outsides.
• Once all sides are brown, pour in marinara sauce and red wine. Toss so that the meatballs are covered in sauce.
• Lower heat to low and cover. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes.
• While the meatballs are simmering, prepare your spaghetti of choice by following the directions on your package.
• Once your noodles are cooked, strain and serve with meatballs and sauce. Top with a generous amount of parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.

MOM'S MEATBALLS WITH NEAPOLITAN MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Sear small batches of the beef, pork and sausage in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and then remove from the pot. After all the meat is seared, deglaze with the red wine and add the onion. Cook until transparent. Add tomatoes to the pot. Add meat to the pot. Add the chile flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 hours.
• For the meatballs: While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Soak the bread in the milk.
• Squeeze the milk from the bread after soaking. Mix the ground chuck, pecorino, ground pork, bread, onion, parsley, basil, garlic and eggs together by hand in a large bowl.
• Roll the meatballs loosely about two times the size of a golf ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place into the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Add meatballs to the sauce and braise until tender. Serve hot.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°
• In a large bowl, with clean hands, lightly mix together the 2 lbs ground beef, 2 minced garlic cloves, .7 oz packet of Italian Dressing Mix, 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/3 cup milk, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Do not overmix the meatloaf mixture or it will have a tough texture.
• In a 9x13 glass casserole pan pour about 1/2 cup marinara sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Dump the Italian meatloaf mixture out into the pan and shape into a meatloaf, about 2 1/2 inch tall, 6 inches wide and about 11 inches long (roughly)
• Pour the rest of the jarred marinara over the meatloaf. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. The center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees with an instant thermometer.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes and then slice and serve!

MOM'S SUNDAY DINNER: ITALIAN RAGU WITH MEATBALLS AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• 1. In a large sauce pot (8-quart size minimum), heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil on a very low flame. Add the diced onion and cook slowly until it has turned translucent. Do not brown the onion, but allow it to almost melt away. Add the garlic cloves and very lightly cook them in the oil until golden before adding the tomatoes and all their juices. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the basil leaves and set the heat on low. Allow the tomatoes to cook at very low heat for at least 2 hours before adding the meat.
• 2. Make the meatballs: mix the ground beef and veal together in a large bowl. Combine the bread and milk and mash together to form a paste; add the bread to the ground meat. Add the eggs, garlic, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture and combine all the ingredients using your fingers to mix uniformly, but do not over mix or the meat will dry out when cooked. Pick up 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball shape, between the palms of your hands. Do this until you have used all the meat. This should yield approximately 24 meatballs.
• 3. Place the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium flame. Add the meatballs in 1 layer and brown on all sides before removing. Do this to the remaining meatballs until all are browned to a caramelized color. After all the meatballs have been browned and removed from the skillet, add the sausage links and brown well, following the same method as the meatballs. When all the meat has cooked, add to the tomato ragu, which has been cooking for 2 hours and cook an additional hour. Serve the tomato ragu over rigatoni pasta cooked to directions on box. Serve the meats on another plate as a second course or with the pasta. (We always couldn't wait til the second course!)
• 4. NOTE: If using plum tomatoes, make sure using a wooden spoon while cooking, you break up the tomatoes. You can also freeze this in batches and use when needed.
• 5. You can make this sauce your own by adding what herbs you like. Oregano or Basil, All Beef Meatballs if you prefer. My mom did all the combinations. MANGIA!

ITALIAN-STYLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Dump the onion mixture into a large bowl and let cool. Wipe the skillet clean.
• Add the meat, breadcrumbs, mustard, parsley, egg, salt, and some pepper to the cooled onions and mix.
• Use your hands to roll the mixture into 1-1/4 inch (3 cm) meatballs. You should have about 15 meatballs.
• Place the flour on a plate or in a baking dish and roll the meatballs in the flour to coat. Dust off any excess.
• In the same large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches, if necessary, add the meatballs and brown on all sides.
• Return all the meatballs to the skillet, then carefully add the canned tomatoes and 3/4 cup (200 ml) water. Be cautious: the skillet will be hot and might spit.
• Cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) and the flavors have melded, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed.☞TESTER TIP: If you prefer a spicy sauce, season with some red pepper flakes.
• While the meatballs are cooking, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to the package instructions.
• Drain the pasta in a colander, and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the meatballs and sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.