Meatballs for a crowd! This meatball recipe is easy and works with tomato, pesto, or sweet & sour sauces.
The Ingredients!
This recipe is quick and delicious. I like to use ground turkey and pork sausage. It makes a lean, but light meatball.
Start by putting your meats in a big bowl.
Make sure that you use the 93% lean turkey, and not the leanest version. Meatballs need a little fat to keep them juicy. I use one package of ground turkey, and mix in a pound of pork sausage. I like to use a spicy Italian sausage.
Then, add the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, and mix it all up with your hands. For this recipe, I use two cups of breadcrumbs and two cups of parmesan. This makes a double batch.
Next, beat an egg and add a few tablespoons of water. Mix the egg mixture into the meat mixture.
Finally, roll, and bake! So simple! I bake instead of fry. Heat the oven to 350°, and bake for about 15 minutes. Flip them over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
If you are making meatballs for dinner, roll them about 1 1/2 inches. Making a finger food? Roll them about an inch. Want to make huge meatballs? Roll them about 4 inches! Adjust cooking times accordingly. I cook the smallest size (pictured below in the super weird but oddly delicious sweet and sour sauce) for about ten minutes, flip, ten more. The huge ones cook for about 20 minutes, flip, 20 more. I always bake them in the oven. They crisp up just enough, and are a leaner option than frying in oil. It also is less of a mess to clean up later.
The Sauce!
Add the meatballs to the sauce of your choice. Tomato sauce is great, but this recipe is also great with that sweet & sour sauce that everyone loves. For that, mix equal amounts grape jelly with bottles of chili sauce. I know. Sounds disgusting. But trust me, everyone loves it. I’ve used it with a cream sauce, and with a pesto sauce, too.
Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground turkey 93% lean, not the 99% lean
- 1/2 lb ground Italian pork sausage either hot or medium spice, your choice
- 1 cup breadcrumbs I use Progresso Garlic & Herb
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Put ground turkey and pork sausage in a large mixing bowl.
- Add bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Mix well with your hands.
- Add a Tablespoon of water to the beaten egg, and mix it into the meat mixture.
- Roll into meatballs. I usually make them about three inches around, but you can make them whatever size you like.
- Put meatballs onto a rimmed baking sheet, and bake about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. You can use parchment paper on the baking sheet, if you wish.
[…] Homemade meatballs make for the best spaghetti and meatballs! Yes, there are store bought meatballs. I have never tried them. Making them from scratch is so easy! Here’s my full meatballs recipe. […]