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Meatball Madness

Tips and Advice - Cooking from Scratch

Written by Maureen Wood

Having a family meatball-rolling-fest is a great opportunity for young ones to practice their dexterity and an opportunity to discuss sanitation in the kitchen while stocking your freezer with some tasty meatballs. Be sure to offer a meatball or two as a reward at the end.

Basic Meatballs from Scratch

Meatballs aren't only good with spaghetti. They make an excellent throw in for almost any oven or stovetop casserole. And in a pinch they make a great sandwich. What follows is a basic meatball recipe that can be cooked and stored in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 to 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons of dried onion (or 1 small onion, minced)
salt
pepper

Optional seasonings:

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon parsley
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

The finer the ground beef, the easier it is to make a perfect-looking meatball. If you like your meatballs a little spicier, you can use the optional seasonings when mixing.

With a blender, mix all ingredients until well blended but not over mixed. Shape ground beef into mini meatballs that fit through the circle created by your thumb and forefinger. Have a sample meatball in view so little hands (and big hands) can compare the size of their meatballs to the desired size.

Saute meatballs on medium high until brown. If using a non-stick pan, no oil is needed as the meatballs will produce enough grease to keep them from sticking. Do not over fill the pan with raw meatballs; leave enough room to comfortably move them around while frying.

When some are done, remove them to a dish and add more.

Freeze in two to three freezer containers. Keep one in your kitchen freezer and put the other two in your deep freezer.

Meatballs can be taken out the night before being used or taken out and heated from frozen. Do not leave in deep freezer longer than seven months.

What To Do With Meatballs

The possibilities for meatballs are almost endless. Get your creative juices flowing and think up some possibilities. Here are a few to get you going:

Garlic Bread Bake

Slice a French loaf, butter it up, sprinkle with garlic powder. Slice meatballs in half and put cut side down on bread -- about four or five meatballs to cover bread. Cover meatballs with sliced mozzarella. Bake for ten minutes to melt cheese and heat. Serve with carrot sticks and a side salad.

Saucy Meatballs

Combine the following ingredients with about forty meatballs in a casserole dish: 1 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Serve over rice with a side of veggies.

Meatball Sub

Heat five to six meatballs per person in tomato sauce. Scoop meatballs on to a sausage bun and top with a bit of shredded mozzarella cheese. Serve with a veggie and side salad.

Stove Top Meatballs and Rice

Here is a tasty way to use up some premade meatballs with this quick and tasty meatballs and rice that is a blend of sweetness and bite.

Photos of meatballs , copyright M. E. Wood

M. E. Wood is the Cooking from Scratch Editor at Foodie Momma. She lives in Eastern Ontario, Canada. If you are going to find this eclectic reader and writer anywhere it is probably at her computer. For more information visit her Squidoo Who page.