Meatballs, despite their simplicity, are a very versatile food. They can be made from variety of meats, smothered in a range of different sauces, and served over pasta, bread or just by themselves. To save the most time, prepare your meatballs in big batches and freeze or refrigerate them to be reheated later. Stock up for this week or prepare for your weekend party with this classic Italian batch.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 (about 20 meatballs)
Photo by Tiffany Zau
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion
1 24 or 25 ounce jar tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
2. Mix the beef and the spices together with your hands until thoroughly incorporated.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
3. Roll the beef into balls so they fit comfortably in the palm of your cupped hands and set aside.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
4. Cut the onions into rounds (they’ll come apart when you cook them) and quickly cook them in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until they’re translucent. Take them out of the pot and set aside.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
5. Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil. Cook the meatballs on medium heat until they’re browned on all sides in the pot. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Let them brown for 1 to 2 minutes before turning them. They may stick, but if you let them cook for long enough they won’t stick too much.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
6. Prep a baking dish large enough to fit all your meatballs by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Pour half the jar of tomato sauce into the dish.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
8. Top with onions and the place the meatballs on top.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
9. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top of the meatballs and top with shredded mozzarella.
Photo by Tiffany Zau
10. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the center of the meatballs are no longer pink. To keep them from drying out, cover the pan with aluminum foil or put the meatball pan inside a larger pan full of water when cooking.
Photo by Tiffany Zau