Italian Style Meatballs Are Easy!

For some reason, I thought meatballs were complicated to make. I don't know why I had that impression. Maybe it's because there are quite a few ingredients that go into the little round wonders, or maybe because it's a multiple step process to make meatballs. At any rate, I discovered it's incredibly easy, and also very delicious!

Meatballs
Makes 5 servings

1.5 pounds meatloaf mixture (1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground veal, 1/3 ground pork)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
Oil for frying

Combine all the ingredients! Mix with your hands to really make sure everything is well blended.



Form one inch balls with the mixture. The colder the mixture is, the easier it will be to roll the meatballs.






Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large bottomed shallow non stick pan. A medium-high heat will be needed to brown the meatballs nicely.





Add a portion of the meatballs to the pan. It is important to not crowd the pan. Brown them on each side for a couple of minutes, or until they have a nice golden brown color. If you plan on putting the meatballs into a sauce, there is no need to cook them all the way through; a few minutes simmering in their sauce will complete their cooking. If you plan on eating them without immersing them in sauce, once they are browned, turn down the heat to low and cook for a further five minutes, making sure to turn them so that they do not get burned.



I placed my meatballs in my simple tomato sauce recipe, and simmered them for about 5 minutes before serving over pasta. Definitely an all time favorite with Americans I think!

Norwegian Meatballs (Kjottkaker)

Ingredients: 500 grams minced beef, 1 shallot, 1 tablespoon capers, 100 grams of cooked beetroot (jar), 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 egg, salt, pepper,

Mix 500 grams minced beef with 1 finely chopped sjalotje, 1 tablespoon finely chopped capers, 100 grams finely chopped cooked beetroot, 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Turn about 20 balls of it. Heat butter in a frying pan and fry the balls around brown in about 10 to 15minutes. Enjoy!

Meatballs with Mozzarella

Ingredients: 500 grams minced beef, 1 egg, 1 sachet meatball seasoning, mozzarella,

Number of persons: 5

Mix 500 grams minced beef, 1 egg and 1 sachet meatball seasoning. Dived the minced beef and put in each a piece of mozzarella. Fold the minced beef over the mozzarella and make a ball. Place the meatballs in an ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven at 90 degrees and let the meatballs slowly cook 1 1/2 hour in the oven. Put the last quarter of the oventime the oven at 140 degrees so the meatball is cooked inside. Serve with a salad and potatoes. Enjoy!

Meatballs in Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients: 500 grams minced beef, 1 shallot, 1 egg, parsley, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 200 ml vegetable stock, 200 ml cream, 1 tablespoon mustard, 3 spring onions,

Number of persons: 3

Mix 500 grams minced beef with 1 shallot, 1 egg, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Make small balls of this. Bake the meatballs around brown. Add 200 ml vegetable stock, 200 ml cream, 1 tablespoon mustard and 3 chopped spring onions rings. Let all simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Serve with rice and broccoli, for example. Enjoy!

Meatballs de Liège

Ingredients: 300 grams minced pork, 2 onions, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons parsley, 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, butter, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 200 ml fond, 3 tablespoons of Liège syrup, 2 tablespoons raisins 2 tablespoons cornflour,

Number of persons: 3

Preheat the oven to 90 degrees. Mix 300 grams minced pork with 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Make 3 meatballs of it. Place the meatballs in an ovenproof dish. Place the ovenproof dish about 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Put the last 8 minutes of baking time the oven at 140 degrees so the meatballs are brown well.

For the Liege sauce bake 1 1/2 finely cut onion in hot butter. When the onion is glassy, add 2 tablespoons vinegar again. Bake briefly while stirring. Add 200 ml fond, 3 tablespoons of Liège syrup and 2 tablespoons raisins. Simmer for about a minute or 10. Bind the sauce with 2 tablespoons cornflour . Serve the meatballs with the sauce Liège, Flemish fries and a mixed salad. Enjoy!

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients: 12 Swedish meatballs (or more, ready made by IKEA fo example), 200 grams mushrooms, dash of white wine, 250 ml cream, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, dill,

Number of persons: 2

Bake Swedish balls around brown in hot butter. Add 200 grams sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have softened. Extinguish with a dash of white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add 250 ml cream, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar and dill. Mix well. Bring to the boil briefly and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with rosti and a salad or peas. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs with a Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce ottoman turkish

We saw Emeril make these little bites and just had to try them. I’m a huge ground turkey fan, and this was a delicious recipe for it. We ate them as our entire meal along with some toasted bread, but they’d be great appetizers as well. Or, make yourself a meatball sandwich! The yogurt dipping sauce is a must, though… really adds something special to the meatballs.

We also substituted soy creamer for the heavy cream, and used regular plain yogurt instead of the whole milk/greek yogurt. No loss there. :)

Turkey Meatballs with a Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Makes 3-4 dozen. Recipe from Emeril.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, very finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/8 teaspoon
1 1/4 cups plain whole milk yogurt, preferably Greek, drained overnight in a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve
1 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced

DIRECTIONS
Place the turkey in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet and, when hot, saute the red onion and scallions until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add to the turkey, along with the garlic, cumin, bread crumbs, heavy cream, egg and egg yolk, 3 tablespoons of the mint, the parsley, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly. Using a small scoop or spoon, divide the mixture into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into smooth round balls. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

While the meatballs are chilling, make the dipping sauce. Combine the yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon of mint, remaining 1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt, remaining1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and lemon zest, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the meatballs with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve warm, with the yogurt dipping sauce.

Yield: About 5 1/2 dozen bite-size meatballs, generous 1 cup sauce, serving 6 to 8