Saturday, August 16, 2014

Paula T's Famous Italian Meatballs

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Here's another recipe we haven't exchanged in freezer club, but I freeze these all the time. My mom's famous Italian meatballs :)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
Milk
1 large egg 
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 c sweet onion, chopped
salt
pepper
olive oil

Cooking Directions:
* Mix together veal, pork & ground beef. Some areas of the country sell this already mixed and call it "meatloaf mixture," in other areas it's hard or impossible to find all 3. I've used 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 pork sausage and it's still turned out great. But I'm only half the Italian my mommy is... quite literally ;-)
* In small mixing bowl, crush crackers and soak in milk - just enough to wet them, you don't want them dripping wet
* Add crackers to meat mixture. Then add cheese, garlic and onion. And salt & pepper to taste.
* Add one egg and mix with hands.
* Coat your hands in olive oil and shape the meat into balls. I like 1'' meatballs, but make them any size you'd like.
* Heat olive oil in a skillet and fry meatballs, 5 minutes per side, until they are browned on all sides.
* Put on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, until done in center.

Freezing Directions:
Let cool completely, then put in gallon freezer bag and get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Reheating Directions:

* Thaw on counter or in fridge. And heat on stove in sauce.
* OR microwave until warmed through.

* makes about 40 meatballs