Favorite Meatballs
Easy enough for weeknights and special enough for celebrations, these favorite meatballs are sure to earn a place on your table.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (90g) Italian bread, cut into small-to-medium cubes
- 1 cup (235mL) whole milk
- 2 pounds (900g) ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup (90g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving.
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup (10g) finely chopped Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Versatile, Everyday Red Sauce, Red Sauce with Hidden Vegetables (Italian sausage omitted), or prepared marinara sauce
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- In a large bowl, pour the milk over the bread, and set aside for 10 minutes to soak.Mix the ground beef, eggs, garlic powder, cheese, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and soaked bread together. You can use your hands, or mix on low speed in a stand mixer just until combined (do not overmix).
Step 2
- You can cook the meatballs by browning them on the stovetop in olive oil, or broiling them in the oven. I opt for the latter, to avoid messy stovetop splatter.If you plan to broil, heat your oven to broil (high) now, and set your oven rack to about 5 inches (12cm) below the heating element.
Step 3
- Form the meat into medium-sized meatballs (1 ½ ounces or 50g each). I like to cover a sheet pan with heavy-duty foil, and place the meat on a broiler pan above the foil so that the grease will drain off.
Step 4
- Broil for 5-7 minutes or until well-browned, then turn and broil for 5-7 minutes on the opposite side.
Step 5
- Add the meatballs to the red sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. You can serve the meatballs on their own, over dressed arugula, or with pasta. Serve topped with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil or parsley.
