Italian Parmesan Meatballs Recipes

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Season: 1 pound ground grass-fed beef, 3/4 pound ground pork shoulder with: Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine: 1 cup torn-up pieces of day-old country-style bread, crusts removed, 1/2 cup milk.
• Set aside to soften. Grate, using the large-holed side of a box grater: 1 small yellow onion, peeled.
• This will make a sort of rough purée that will add moisture and flavor to the meatballs. Squeeze most of the milk out of the bread and put the bread in a large mixing bowl with the seasoned meat and the grated onion. Add: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, peeled and pounded to a paste with a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled), 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, A pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Combine the ingredients with your hands, gently but thoroughly. Overworking the mixture makes the meatballs tough. Fry a little meatball in a small skillet and taste. Adjust the seasonings as needed. If it seems dry, add a little milk. The mixture will be soft. Gently form the mixture into meatballs, either by hand or with a small ice-cream scoop. Bake the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet in a 450°F oven until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Or fry them in a little oil in a cast-iron pan, turning them occa sionally for even browning.
• Substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
• Add other chopped herbs such as mint, marjoram, sage, or thyme.
• Add 2 garlic cloves, pounded to a purée, and 2 to 3 tablespoons red or white wine.
• Add pine nuts and currants to the mixture and serve with polenta and Baked Sliced Onions (page 314).
• Substitute ground lamb for some or all of the meats. Add some ground cumin and coriander. Omit the oregano and cheese. Brown the meatballs, then braise them in lamb or chicken broth until tender, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with couscous.
• Substitute cold, cooked rice or potato for the bread.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together. Combine with water and eggs. Add ground beef and mix well. Roll mixture into balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes.