Easy Meatball Recipe
Overview
Meatballs are the ultimate in comfort food and can be used in a wide variety of ways. Whether you wish to make BBQ meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs or delicious sweet and sour meatballs, the basic recipe for the meatball is the same. This recipe takes advantage of pre-seasoned bread crumbs, eliminating the need to add herbs and spices. Making the meatballs requires 3 simple ingredients and a little warm water. These freeze well, making them an ideal make ahead meal.
Step 1
Place 2 pounds of 80 percent lean ground beef in a large bowl. Although any ground beef will do, lower fat content will create a dense meatball and higher fat will be too greasy. For the proper texture and optimum flavor, 80 percent lean provides a good balance of lean meat and fat content. Add 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs. Plain bread crumbs are certainly an option, but you will need to add your own herbs and spices if you choose plain bread crumbs.
Step 2
Finely dice 1 medium onion. Larger sections of onion take longer to cook and prevent the meatball from holding together properly. Finely diced onion will provide lots of flavor and will improve the texture of the meatball. Add the diced onion to the ground beef and bread crumb mixture and blend thoroughly. Add warm water a little at time until the meat mixture is soft and moist and will hold its shape when made into a ball.
Step 3
Press the meatball mixture onto a cutting board to a thickness of 1 inch and shape into a rectangle. Cut the meat mixture into 1 inch by 1 inch sections as though you were cutting a pan of brownies. Wet your hands and roll each 1 inch cube into a ball. Arrange meatballs on a baking pan leaving space between individual balls. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the meatballs every 10 minutes and turn to provide even cooking, if necessary.
Step 4
Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Drain any excess fat or remove them with a slotted spoon, allowing the fat to drain into the pan. Add to your favorite sauce and simmer until the meatballs are infused with the flavor of the sauce. Freeze unused meatballs in an airtight container. To use frozen meatballs, simply thaw and add to any recipe calling for meatballs.
skill
1
ingredient
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion
2/3 cup warm water
keyword
meatballs quick easy recipe make