Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Favorite Meatball Recipe!

I'm going to share my secret meatball recipe. It's versatile and delicious and it's the cornerstone of many different meals.

Theola's Meatballs
(units per 1 lb of hamburger)
Hamburger
1 c. bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp. italian seasoning
few shakes Lawry's seasoning

Mix ingredients and shape into balls. Brown in approx. 2 TBSP. of oil until cooked through.



Which brings us to another recipe. I always make this on "meatball day".

Theola's Swedish Meatballs
Remove meatballs from skillet, reduce heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare baking dish for cooking.
To skillet drippings add:
2 TBSP. flour and stir to form a bubbly "paste" (roux)
Slowly stir in:
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. milk or light cream

Stir frequently. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste. Bring to a gentle boil and stir constantly, gravy will thicken within 1-2 minutes. Consider it done when the gravy clings to the back of a spoon without dripping.

Place meatballs in baking dish, cover with gravy then bake for 30-40 minutes.

Excellent served over rice, potatoes or egg noodles!




My favorite recipe! However, when I make meatball, I make them in bulk. I don't make 1 pound, I make 5-6 pounds at a time. With that in mind, I have discovered a time saving alternative:
turn heat up on skillet, brown outsides then place into prepped baking dish. Once all meatballs are browned, place baking dish into 350 degree oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes and check for doneness. (Cut in half, is it pink or brown?)
(I know it still doesn't save tons of time, but I've found I can generally clean the kitchen in the time I would have been standing over the meatballs while they cooked in the skillet, just DON'T wash the skillet until after making the gravy!)

Saving out just enough for supper, I count the meatballs out into plastic bags and freeze. I have found that about 14-16 walnut-sized meatballs works well for my family's spaghetti dinners; if a recipe needs more meatballs, I grab two bags instead of one.

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