Garlicky Meatballs Two Ways, Baked and Cooked in Sauce

 

Meatballs are versatile and can be eaten as a snack, appetizer, sandwich, or served with pasta and bread. I like adding a depth of flavor with herbs from the garden and a great deal of garlic, which is very healthy. The evening I created this recipe was just the start of fall development. It was no longer tomato season, and we constantly got frost advisories. There are many options for store-bought pasta sauce; some are subpar, and others are better. But when you cook the highly flavorful meatballs in the sauce, it comes together perfectly and tastes as homemade as it comes. Robert plans to take the baked version to work for a sub sandwich the following day. We will prepare the pasta and have garlic bread on the side, both made with good-quality parmesan cheese. Deliciousness is all I can say.

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Ingredients 

• Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Medium yellow onion chopped
• 4 Large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons oregano dried or fresh
• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt and Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup bread crumbs we used panko
• 1 lb Each of ground pork and beef; we used ground sirloin
• 2, 24 oz Jars of good quality tomato sauce; we selected Organic Roasted Garlic and Organic Tomato Basil

Preparation - 10 minutes Cook Time - 30 minutes Serving 6-8

Directions

1. Start by sautéing the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. We recommend using a Dutch oven to prevent the tomato sauce from splattering on your stove. Add a pinch of salt to help draw out moisture.
2. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Turn off the burner and place this mixture into a large mixing bowl to allow it to cool.
3. While the onion mixture is cooling, add the tomato sauce to the same pan you cooked the onion and allow the sauce to get to a low simmer.
4. Once the onion mixture is cooled down, add the herbs, meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix everything with your hands, careful not to overwork the meat mixture. If you overwork it, the meat will be tough.
5. Scoop the meat mixture with an ice cream scooper, then form it round, patting it gently. Delicately place them individually into the tomato sauce. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes on a low simmer.
6. Serve them as you would like. We recommend it over pasta, as a snack, on a sandwich, or as an appetizer, either chilled, room temp, or warm. Anything will work out beautifully and be delicious.
7. For the baked version: We cooked half of the meat mixture in the sauce, and the other portion was baked for 35 minutes at 350 degrees on a sheet tray lined with an anti-sticking silicone mat. Parchment paper will also work fine.