Tasty Meatballs

Mama Mia!

That is what you will be saying when you make these for the first time.

If you are looking for a good incredible meatball recipe to try, buckle up and give this one a test drive.

I've always been a meat sauce kinda of gal.  Why?  I can't say really, other that we always had spaghetti and meat sauce when I was growing up.  I've always thought making meatballs was way too much trouble.  Yup, you can see, that I am lazy!  It's easier to brown up the meat and add the sauce.

I know you've all heard the saying "try it, you might like it".  You will be delighted to find that these meatballs really aren't too much work  (okay, maybe a little messy) but they are so worth it and I bet you will agree that they are slap yourself silly awesome!

This recipe is an adaptation of one I had Pinned from Kaye's Low Carb Lifestyle.  Thanks for the inspiration!

Tasty Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 pound of ground beef (80/20 is good, fat adds flavor and moisture)

1 pound  Italian sausage (I used some homemade that had made and had stashed in the freezer)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (Kraft in the green container is fine for this)

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. rosemary

1 jar marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Line a 9x13 pan with foil.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the other ingredients.  Roll up your sleeves and wash your hands and get ready to get messy.  Get into the mixture your fingers, mixing just until all the ingredients are just combined.  Don't over mix or your meatballs will be tough.

Once combined, measure out into your meatball sized portions using a 1/3 cup measure.  You will end up with a baker's dozen, or 13 meatballs.  You can make them bigger, but I think this size is just perfect.

Form the measured out meat mixture into to balls, again taking care to not overwork the mixture.  As you finish, place the meatballs in the pan.  

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices from the meatballs run clear and the tops are golden.

You can eat them hot from the oven, or you can do what I did and kick them up a notch!

In a ceramic baking dish large enough to accommodate the meatballs spread a layer of your favorite marinara sauce, just enough to cover the bottom.  Add the meatballs to the dish.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce over each of the meatballs, or just pour it over the top from the jar, you don't need to be precise.  Top with the shredded mozzarella and return the dish to the oven for an additional 8 minutes until the sauce is warm and the mozzarella cheese is all melty and wonderful.

Garnish with some fresh basil and serve.  You can serve the meatballs with pasta, or on their own with other vegetable sides such as steamed broccoli.  

....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!