I like a little variety every now and then so I try to make things that have lots of options! Meatballs are easy to vary and my basic recipe can be adapted at least these 3 ways, maybe more but let's start with 3 today!
Basic Meatballs
4 slices nice soft white bread crusts removed
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Break the bread into pieces and put into a large bowl (larger than you think you need cause this is messy work)! Pour the milk over the bread and toss it around so all the pieces are moist. Let sit about 5 minutes.
Break up ground beef and add along with other ingredients to bread mixture. Dig in with your hands and mix lightly just until it's all worked together.
Get out a cookie sheet, foil and a wire rack (you know, the kind you cool things on). Cover the cookie sheet with foil and put the wire rack on top of it. Spray the rack with non stick cooking spray. Scoop meat mixture onto the wire rack with a regular size scoop. Keep them close together on the rack. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. The wire rack will allow any fat to drip off and you will thank me later! Let them cool then bag them up and freeze!
Italian Meatballs
To basic meatball recipe add:
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
Follow directions above.
Most of the time I make the basic meatballs and do HALF the meat into balls then add the Italian ingredients (using 1/2 the above amounts) mix and finish......you can bake them all together it's easy to tell which ones are the Italian ones because of the cheese!
Swedish Meatballs
Ok, this on is slightly trickier but they are SO tasty!
Make one small variance in the meat....use 1 lb ground pork and 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
Follow the basic recipe adding:
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
Sauce for Swedish Meatballs:
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup sour cream
2-4 Tbsp Blackberry jam (Lingonberry is traditional but good luck finding it)
salt and pepper
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Add beef broth and stir until thick. Turn heat off and add sour cream, jam and season to taste. Add your meatballs and put the lid on. Let them just sit there in the sauce but don't turn the heat back on. Serve over egg noodles.
The sauce doesn't freeze well but it goes together fast....you can just thaw the meatballs and then add them to the finished sauce!
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