That’s a Tasty Meatball!

Meatballs are a real treat if done properly.  I’m going to share with you my best meatball recipe.  Prepare this on a weekend evening when you’re just sitting around watching TV. You can freeze them or refrigerate them for later use in our recipes.  The reason why is that meatballs are not a weekday kind of recipe.  They take more time than most of the other recipes in this book and it’s kind of pain to do when you’re running around shuffling kids.  It takes a little work but so incredibly worth the effort.

1 package (1/4 lb) ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey)

1 package of tube sausage (whatever kind, Italian sausage or breakfast)

¼ cup of Italian bread crumbs

¼ cup of soy milk

Chicken water from pasta you’ve been saving

Garlic salt & pepper to taste

First thing, pour the chicken broth water into a nice 2 qt pot and heat on low.  What you’re aiming for with the water is just a low simmer.  It should not be a rolling boil.  If it becomes a rolling boil turn the heat down. 

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat and sausage together to incorporate.  Add the bread crumbs, milk, garlic salt and pepper and mix well.  This is my least favorite part of the job because I don’t like my hands getting dirty.  If you feel the same, get the kids they love it. 

Now time to make your meatballs.  Just take a pinch of meat.  You don’t need or want them to be huge.  It should be about the size of a quarter in diameter.  To make the meatball round, you toss from one hand to the other.  It’s not a big gesture, you’re not pitching for the Yankees.  This is just a casual toss from hand to hand.  I few tosses back and forth will get the round shape you need.  This is much better the rolling technique which doesn’t work because most of the meat stays on your hands. 

Once you get about 10 meatballs, start adding them to your water.  You’ll notice they sink to the bottom or kind of bounce in the water.  Once they start to float, they are done.  Should take literally 4-5 minutes tops.  Once they do start to float, take them out and put them in a baking dish.  Let the water reheat again, while it is, you can be getting the next batch ready for the water.  Done right, you should get about 30-40 meatballs.  This is an excellent recipe to do with kids, by the way.  They love making them and they can get a little bonding time with daddy or mommy.

Take the baking dish with the completed meatball and place it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This gives it a nice brown crust or shell.  Now take them out let them cool about 5 minutes.  Steal a couple, then put them away for the later serving.