Friend of Julie: Meatballs

Meatballs are a good choice when eating lunch at a deli or when friends order take-out pizza, but I love my homemade meatballs. I used to say I never met a meatball I didn't like, but a few years ago that changed when I had a friend's mother's meatballs with a secret ingredient: jelly. Jelly? Why would anyone put jelly in meatballs? They were the worse meatballs I ever had. Here's my version of my mother's meatball recipe, which never had and never will include jelly...

Mom's Meatballs made Key-friendly

10/24/16 Update
The Key Weight Loss Program has evolved since I started my journey in January 2011. So I've adapted recipes like this, which I used to add breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, but are are no longer allowed. I updated this meatball recipe to make it key-friendly and guess what, I don't even notice the lack of breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 
• 1 pound sausage (sometimes I use Jimmy Dean's Sage Sausage. You can mix the sausage in with the ground beef or put whole sausage links in the sauce.)
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 6 -8 cloves of fresh minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano*
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley*
• 1/4 cup chopped basil*
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
• 1 whole bell pepper, red, yellow, or both (optional)
• 1 (24 oz size) jar or can of your favorite tomato sauce

*Herb options: substitute all spices with fresh herbs or a package of Italian Seasoning.

Note: for ready-to-go meals to take to work, make a double batch of this recipe and freeze them in one-serving size containers.

Directions

Cover the bottom of the crock pot with a thin layer of sauce.

Beat the eggs and add all ingredients, except the peppers and tomato sauce, in a large bow, use your hands to mix all ingredients.

Shape mixture into meatballs and drop each ball into the crock pot. Add a small amount of sauce to each layer of meatballs.

Tips for rolling meatballs

• To help make them consistent in size, use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the meat from the bowl.
• If you prefer bite size meatballs (as I do) take half of the meat mixture from the measuring cup, roll it into a firm ball and the repeat with the other half in the spoon. Bite size meatballs take longer to roll, but they cook quicker, so you may want to be at home when cooking these unless you have a crock pot with a timer.

Add any remaining sauce to the crock pot.

Cut the peppers into large pieces and add to the crock pot.

Once all the meatballs are all in the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you're home while they're cooking, you can turn the temperature up higher to cook them faster.

Do not stir meatballs until they are almost done or you will risk breaking the meatballs.

Quicker Meatballs

If you don't want to wait all day for meatballs to cook in the crock pot, bake them in the oven instead. I ate these meatballs hot from the oven without sauce. If you make a double batch you can freeze them without sauce and add your favorite sauce when you reheat them. Another option, which a key-friend told me about, is to buy Angus meatballs from the freezer department at the grocery store.

Hungry? Bake your meatballs for quicker a meal.

 

Baked Meatballs

Sauce Recommendations

• Capa di Roma - the owner of Roma Restaurant in East Hartford, Connecticut, is a one of our key-friends who followed the key program many many years ago and has kept her weight off. Roma sauces can be found in your local grocery store.
• Newman's Own Sockarooni Sauce
• Francesco Rinaldi Hearty Tomato & Basil - last year I made a triple batch of meatballs with this inexpensive sauce. I added added tons of garlic and the sauce was delicious.
• Your homemade sauce - of course!

Related Recipes

• Serve with Zucchini Noodles
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs