Baked Meatballs

Baked Meatballs

The Gourmet Goddess has a pet peeve - dry, scratchy, tasteless meatballs!  Some people make what they might call meatballs, but what are really just uninspired, bland balls of chopped meat that scratch the palette and throat as they go down.  Come on people, that is not Italian!  With a bit of an effort and with just a few of the right ingredients, the meatball becomes the most memorable part of a gourmet meal.  

A gourmet meal doesn’t have to have an expensive cut of meat, but it must have inspiration.  Adding just the right ingredients and seasoning can make you a gastronome on a budget. Great meatballs do require chopping, seasoning, mincing and mixing; but great cooking is, after all, an invigorating experience.

 Somewhere along the line people decided that cooking was a waste of precious time. That may be where we began to stop spending time together. Sitting around the dinner table, enjoying good food, makes both grown ups and children want to linger.  Lingering induces conversation and you will have an opportunity to learn what the kids have been thinking and doing. We have forgotten the pleasure and satisfaction of seeing satiated, happy and well fed family or friends.  Get in the kitchen and get the spouse and kids to help - cooking is a cathartic, artistic, and beneficial on so many levels.  There truly is joy in cooking! 

Happy Cooking!

And Remember

Always Stay in Touch with Your Inner Goddess!

Ingredients

2 pounds Ground Beef 85 % (you may use a combination of veal, beef and pork, but I prefer beef)                               

1 1/2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs                         

1/2 - cup Whole Milk

1/3 cup red wine                          

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese                       

1/2 cup Minced Sweet Onion (less if yellow)          

6 cloves of Garlic, minced                                   

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt                                               

3/4 teaspoon Pepper                                              

2 Large Eggs                                                            

1 tablespoon Dried Oregano                             

2 teaspoons Dried Basil                                      

1/2 cup fresh chopped Parsley                            

2 pounds makes 18 – 20 meatballs

Instructions

Combine all the above ingredients well by kneading together.

Form meatballs by rolling firmly into balls about 2 inches in diameter.

Grease roasting pans or baking sheets with light olive oil and rub meatballs with olive oil.

Oven Bake at 350 degrees for 25 -30 minutes

Turn after 20 minutes. (Usually only need 5 minutes on the other side before they get too brown.)

Place in heated sauce and let simmer 15 minutes or so on very low heat to infuse flavors.

Serve with pasta and a salad.