Italian Meatball Sliders

So, I don't know where it came from, but I've had this mad craving for some Italian meatballs for months!! Unfortunately lately I haven't been able to knock off many new meals from my ever-growing list.  My kids are in this picky rut and I hate it!! I also refuse to feed them mac and cheese from a box every single day so I am rotating a few boring simple meals until they start eating more variety.  I'll often make something else for me and the hubbs, that we can eat off for a few days, but that never lasts long to photograph.

So, I finally put my foot down and made these Italian meatballs the other night...and then made everyone eat them.  And to my and their surprise, they all liked them!  Whaddya know ha!  I actually had my toddler help me make these.   Her favorite part was grinding the fennel in the mortar and pestle.  The meat mixture smelled AMAZING while we were getting it together. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth in.

I decided to make these meatballs slider size, using my muffin scoop to portion them out, and serve them on whole wheat dinner rolls because we have little mouths in this house and I knew they wouldn't eat more than that.  You can definitely make them bigger or smaller and serve them on larger rolls if desired.  Anyway you make them, they'll be a new favorite. They are nice and moist with just the right amount of seasoning.


Italian Meatball Sliders
for the meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
3/4-1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fennel seed (if you have a mortar and pestle crush them a bit but don't pulverize them)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 egg

for the sauce:
1 recipe Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce 

for the sliders:
shredded mozzarella
shredded parmesan
chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
12 whole wheat dinner rolls


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl add all meatball ingredients.  Use your hands to mix everything together until ingredients are well-incorporated.

Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat.  Using a muffin scoop, scoop out meat mixture and place onto cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly, if desired, so they will will not roll off your bun. Continue until all meat mixture us used up.  Makes about 12 meatballs.

Bake meatballs for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, make sauce.  Pour sauce into large skillet and heat over medium heat.  Once meatballs are cooked, remove from cookie sheet and place them in the skillet with the sauce.  Simmer, covered about 10 minutes.

To assemble sliders, cut buns in half and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until they just start to get golden.  Place a meatball on one half of each of the buns, a pinch of mozzarella and parmesan then put it back under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  Remove from oven garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve warm.  Use any extra sauce left in the pan to dip the sliders.

Apple Cheddar Meatalls

Apples and cheddar: ohhhh or ewwww? I say ohhhh! It really is a great combination. Have you ever thrown a few apple slices on a grilled cheese sammy? You get that gooey, salty cheesiness and then a little crunchy tangy yet slightly sweet surprise when you get that bite of apple. Well, these meatballs are kind of like that.

These meatballs are super easy to throw together, I'd say under 10 minutes, which makes for a quick weeknight meal when you throw in the noodles and a salad or veggie. Another plus is that they are kid-friendly. The flavors are tasty, yet subtle enough that it's not over powering for the developing palate.

While you can make the meatballs any size you wish, I found that a 1-inch scoop was perfect for us. It made close to 30 meatballs, which is enough for leftovers the next day or some to throw in the freezer for dinner another night.


Apple Cheddar Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or pork
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 small, tart apple, such as granny smith, peeled and grated
1/2 small onion, grated
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
One 12-ounce package egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with either a silicone baking mat or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey/pork, cheese, breadcrumbs, apple, onion, 3 tablespoons parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Using a medium scoop, shape into meatballs, about 1-inch in size. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes (or until thoroughly cooked), turning half way.

During the last 15 minutes while the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles to al dente. Drain, then return to the pot and toss with the butter and remaining 5 tablespoons parsley; season with salt and pepper.


SOURCE:Rachael Ray via Baking Serendipity

Linked To...
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

I love meatballs, they are so versatile. You can change up the meat, the seasonings and even sneak in some chopped up veggies for the picky eater. I especially love Rachel Ray's take on meatballs because the girl comes up with endless possibilities. I love Greek food and when I found these meatballs, I knew I had to try them. They are so quick to pull together. You can cook up some rice while they're in the oven and chop up a quick Greek salad and this is less than a 30 minute meal!

For the meatballs
1/2 onion, finely chopped (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lb. ground chicken
2-3 tsp. grill seasoning (I used McCormick Montreal Seasoning)

For the yogurt sauce
**1 1/2 cups Greek style plain yogurt (try it, it's worth it)
1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh dill (or a couple tsp. dried dill)
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl combine onion and garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry (put it in a kitchen towel, but one you don't care if it gets a little stained). Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken and grill seasoning to the bowl. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form 18 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. I used a small scoop and got exactly 18 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices run clear.

Place yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, and a little salt in food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve meatballs alongside sauce.

*I had a bag of chopped spinach in my freezer and I just grabbed about a cup in my hands and thawed it out.

**If you cannot find Greek yogurt, you can use regular yogurt and let it sit in a dish towel over a strainer for a few hours to get some liquid out. It will still be a little runny though.

1 serving=4 meatballs and 1/4 cup sauce
4-6 servings
Calories per serving:238

Serve with:
Rice pilaf-Saute some garlic and onion in olive oil then add some thyme and the rice (and pine nuts if you like) to toast it up for about a minute. Add chicken broth instead of water; bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 18 minutes. Remove from heat and squeeze some fresh lemon juice in the rice and fluff with a fork.

Chopped Greek Salad-Roughly chop some cucumbers and tomatoes and pour some Greek salad dressing or balsamic vinaigrette over it and crumble feta on top.

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Tomato and Yogurt over Rice

"What! He no eat no meat! That's OK, I cook lamb." Name that movie.

A few weeks ago, my local grocery store had ground lamb, which they don't always have, and it was on sale, which was a plus. I grabbed a package not knowing exactly what I would make with it but knew I could find something great. I stumbled onto Elly Says Opa! a while back and love her recipes. She's Greek, and her recipes are authentic.

Anyway, on to the dish. These meatballs were so yummy! I loved the spices, they went great with the simple tomato and yogurt sauces and balanced each other out perfectly. I was a little hesitant about my 3 year old eating the meatballs, I didn't know if she would like the flavors but she ate everything on her plate and even said she liked it.

I stayed pretty true to her recipe, making only minor adjustments. She suggests pan frying the meatballs, which I did, but I'm sure you could bake them also; I'll probably try that next time.

For the Meatballs
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 small onion, grated or finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil for pan frying

For the tomato sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
heaping 3/4 tsp. oregano

For the yogurt sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

For the rice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. pine nuts

Mix all the ingredients together for the meatballs except the olive oil. Don't over mix. Heat the oil in a large fry pan, add the meatballs then reduce the heat to medium-low. Fry until cooked, turning half way.

Meanwhile, get the rice going. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add
the onion and garlic, cooking until tender. Stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes to toast up the grains and coat them with the oil. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 18 minutes. Once done, take off the heat and let sit for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork.

To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and then add the onions, cooking until tender. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to a simmer and allow the mixture to cook as you are making the rest of the meal.

In a small fry pan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat. They are done when barely golden and fragrant.

Once all meatballs are cooked, remove them to a plate, covered with a paper towel, to soak up the excess oil. Drain fat from the fry pan and mostly wipe it out. Turn the heat off, and then add the garlic clove (the residual heat will be more than enough to make it fragrant). Stir in the yogurt until just warmed through and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Note: it will be runny)

To serve, put rice on plate and sprinkle with pine nuts. Add meatballs, tomato sauce then yogurt sauce.


SOURCE:Adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I got this recipe from my sister. This is great for crowds and very easy to make. My sister also simmers hers in a crock pot, which makes it portable for any potluck or family party. It's also a kid-pleaser. The meatballs are very soft, so I just mash them up with the rice and they eat it great. Since you only use 1/3 cup of tomato sauce in the meatballs, I just use the rest of the can as part of the ketchup and then add enough ketchup to make 1 1/2 cups.


for the meatballs:
½ lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
½ t pepper
½ t garlic powder
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
½ cup chopped onion
2 eggs
1 T flour
1/3 cup tomato sauce
3/4 t salt
3/4 t soy sauce

Place meat and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix together and form 1-1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.

for the sauce:

2 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup water
1 ½ cups ketchup
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 t soy sauce

Bring to a boil. Thicken sauce with about 1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with just enough water. Then add 9 oz pineapple tidbits.

Simmer meatballs in sauce for 20-30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Italian Wedding Soup

When I first made this soup, I could not believe how good it was. It's absolutely amazing and we love it! There is so much flavor in the meatalls that it is even better the second and third day, after the flavors have time to marry.

For the meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (or turkey sausage)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (I've also used Italian bread crumbs)
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta (I used ditalini)
1-2 tsp. dill weed
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, stems removed and roughly chopped


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently with a fork until well combined. Form the mixture into 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Add dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 additional minute. Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

NOTES:The last time I made this, I doubled the meatball recipe and froze half of them. When I was ready to make it again, I just added the frozen meatballs to the soup right before I added the pasta (bring it to a boil again after you add the meatballs, before adding the pasta). This made for an even quicker soup and just as tasty!

SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Make Ahead Meals Fory Busy Moms
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking