my new favorite meatball recipe

In the past I used to make meatballs with an extravagant ingredient list, and which took me most of the afternoon to get the perfect combination just right. I've tried a range of ingredients like bison and spinach or tofu, ricotta and  sun-dried tomatoes. They were all great, but required time and specific ingredients. I needed meatballs that were outstanding in flavor, but didn't require too much of my time. I never want to admit that I don't have all of the time in the world to invest in a batch of meatballs, but it's true. I came across a recipe by Mario Batali. I have tried recipes by Mario in the past and they have always worked, and they are always awesome. It was a no- brainer. Mario's recipe called for ground turkey for which I substituted lean ground beef, with great results. I adjusted quantities and used what I had on hand. I am sure that the milk soaked bread crumbs and large amounts of Parmesan are what made these meatballs really make the cut. They were tender, flavorful, and easy. EASY! Poaching the meatballs in marinara is a very good idea also, so don't dismiss it because it sounds unusual!


1 cup panko bread crumbs ( I used whole wheat panko)
1 cup milk
1 # ground turkey or beef
1 # Italian sausage, casings removed if not bulk ground
3/4 cup Parmesan
2 eggs
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
a pinch of nutmeg
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce

You can mix these ingredients by hand, or with a stand up mixer.

 Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for about 5 minutes.

While the bread crumbs are soaking, add to a large bowl; the ground turkey or beef, sausage, eggs, Parmesan, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the bread crumb/ milk mixture and mix gently.

 Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.

Add the tomato sauce to a pan and bring to a boil. Place the meatballs in the sauce and return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or alternately, once you've added the meatballs and have brought it back up to a boil, you could wing the whole pot in the oven and allow those meatballs to simmer in the sauce for about 20- 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

This makes a large batch of meatballs, and we ended up eating meatballs spooned over pasta and then again tucked inside homemade fococcia with melted Gouda and sauteed peppers and onions. Both meals made us grin! Belly up!!