Happy New Year!

Another Year, all fresh and new

Let’s find out what God wants us to do.

Should we stay here or go that way?

It’s another new year, but first a new day.

So start each morning praising God above

And thanking Him for His great love.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

I want to start the new year following the commandments of love!

One of the ways I love others is to cook. I like to make meatballs. I know lots of people who like to eat the meatballs!  One recipe but endless possibilities!  Toss them in a good tomato sauce, add some pasta and a meal is created. Or add them into chicken soup, with a few other ingredients and voila! Italian Wedding Soup.  Smother the meatballs in barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce or even a sour cream sauce for Meatball Stroganoff! Or just eat them plain…stick a fork in one. You are done!

One of the keys, in my view, to really great meatballs is using more than one meat: the more, the merrier! I like ground beef and ground pork. Or ground beef and Italian sausage. Or ground beef and ground lamb. Even beef and ground chicken or turkey. I like that the flavor profile of this quintessential meatball is boosted when you are using at least two meats.  So with that, here is my meatball recipe. Remember, though, that just because I used Italian sausage as my second meat, you don’t have to. Find your favorite and run with it!

Have a very Happy New Year!

Priscilla

The Best Italian Meatballs

1 pound ground grass fed beef

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

1 - 2 tablespoons dried cilantro

3 teaspoons oregano

2 tablespoons basil

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon allspice

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of white pepper - optional

3 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs ( I like Italian seasoned bread crumbs)

In a large bowl, blend the meats with the cheese and all the herbs and spices. You can try to use a spoon but I’ll bet you toss that spoon and just use your hands! Then mix in the eggs. Yes, I am still using my hands to incorporate the eggs! And finally, toss in the breadcrumbs. If you prefer a harder meatball, add another 1/4 cup plus of breadcrumbs. If you prefer a softer meatball, add just 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs instead of the full cup. Now mix, blend, stir to create a beautiful meat mixture. 

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper as we are going to bake the meatballs. 

Preheat oven to 350

Now the rolling of the meatball: You can use a cookie scoop to make perfect meatballs but I use my hands. Why? Primarily because I have two cookie scoops, one small and one large. I think the small are too small and the large is too large! So to get the perfect size, I just wing it. Place the meatballs onto the prepared tray. They can be fairly close together but not touching. This helps them to bake evenly.  

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for the medium size meatball. 

Small Meatballs bake in 10 to 15 minutes

Large Meatballs bake in 20 to 25 minutes

I place the Meatball tray into the oven and set the timer to the lowest time listed. When the time goes off, I stab a meatball and place it onto a plate to cut it open. If it is nicely browned on the inside, it’s done. If it is still a bit pink, then back in the oven they go for the final five minutes. If you like a well done meatball, you may want to add an additional 3 to five minutes. 

This recipe makes about 80 medium size meatballs. You can eat these delightful morsels with your favorite tomato sauce or just plain. Either way, Yum!  

Cool the rest of the meatballs and freeze them for the future. I place them in a freezer zip bag. They’ll keep for up to three months. To reheat the frozen meatballs, place the still frozen meatballs onto a prepared tray and bake until thawed and warm at 350. It could take up to 20 minutes, depending on your oven.