GREAT Homemade Meatballs

Here is a great comfort food dish that will win you BIG POINTS every time. Also, this is one of those dishes that you can make ahead of time and freeze. Great in a Crock-pot/Slow cooker too. This is a nice juicy tasting meatball recipe. If you make them smaller, a great appetizer too. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 extra-large eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, (1 glass for you while your cooking)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1 small can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

COOKING MUSIC SELECTION: Gisele MacKenzie: That's Amore

PREPARATION:

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 big meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. Make sure not to crowd the meatballs. When they are browned on all sides, remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan. **

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

** At this point, you can let these cool and put them in freezer ziplock bags to have ready when needed. I did this for a big party and brought my crockpot, plugged it in, put in the sauce, and then placed the frozen meatballs in to simmer for 4 hours on low. HUGE HIT! Totally easy make ahead dish!