Baked Meatballs
Baked Meatballs
Growing up, I’m fairly certain we had meatballs once a week. Maybe it was the half Italian thing, but I think it was because meatballs are easy to make, can be frozen to eat later, and cooking for five people is exhausting. This is the recipe my mom used from a Unico cookbook with a few updates. Add these to any pasta dish with marinara sauce for a quick and filling dinner.
Traditionally meatballs are fried, but I like baking mine because it’s healthier. I also frequently sub in ground turkey for ground beef.
I make my meatballs small, if you want larger ones, adjust cook time accordingly.
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork (see note below)
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
YIELD
About 2 dozen small meatballs
TIME
Prep - 10 minutes
Cook - 20 minutes
TOOLS
Large bowl
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. If you’re using foil, lightly spray the sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare onions, garlic, eggs and basil.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or your hands.
Shape the meat into balls of your desired size and place on baking sheets evenly spaced. See above photos for the size I make mine.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes depending on the size of your balls. Cut one in half to ensure they are fully cooked through.
Serve on top of pasta with marinara sauce.
ADAPTATIONS
Traditionally, my family makes meat balls with half beef and half pork. Of course, many people don’t eat pork so you can make these will all beef. Alternatively you can use half or all ground turkey for a healthier option (I typically use turkey).
