Meatballs are my perfect food. You can use these in so many ways. During football season, I tend to make a batch and then add them to a gooey sauce for tailgating. My boys love them in subs, so meatball subs are a favorite in our house.
What makes a great meatball? For sure taste, but the texture and juiciness are high on the list. I bake mine in a bit of beef broth to keep them nice and juicy. If I am making subs, I will often cook them in the smoker for a bit of a smoky flavor. You can beat it with my smokey marinara. We are a BBQ family, so the smokier the better!
This is the basic recipe. It’s baked in the oven. These are the perfect starter for any dish….or all on their own!
Recipe highlights:
- You can use any fat milk, I prefer full fat.
- I will post my keto recipe, so for these don’t skip the bread crumbs.
- Adjust the red pepper, or skip, if you don’t like heat. These aren’t super spicy, but I LOVE heat!
I like to make a big batch and then freeze them. They will reheat well using more beef broth to keep them juicy. Be sure and remove from the freezer and place in the fridge until they have thawed before you rewarm them. Add more broth to the pan when reheating. You can also freeze them before cooking. I like to ball them up and then freeze slightly before placing them in a zip lock bag for the full freeze. You just want to make sure that you have them frozen enough that they will not stick together.
Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 LB Ground Beef
- 1 LB Hot Italian Sausage
- ½ Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ Cup Whole Milk
- ¼ Cup Beef Broth plus ¼ Cup for baking
- 1 Egg
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1 Tbsp Garlic minced
- ½ Tbsp Salt
- ½ Tbsp Ground Pepper
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ Tsp Fennel
- ¼ Tsp Red Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients, reserving ¼ Cup beef broth.
- Using a 1 ounce scoop, scoop meat and place on a deep baking sheet.
- Pour the remaining ¼ Cup beef broth over meat and bake for 20-25 minutes until meatballs are cooked to desired.
