Bready or Not Original: Easy Italian Meatballs

Posted by on Sep 8, 2021 in beef, Blog, Bready or Not, cheese galore, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Easy Italian Meatballs

Everyone probably has their own take on classic Italian Meatballs. This is mine!

What I love about the recipe is that it, 1) tastes good, and 2) is convenient. I can mix the meatballs up ahead of time and stash them in the fridge or even the freezer. They can be cooked straight from the freezer, too! Just cook them a little longer.

Bready or Not Original: Easy Italian Meatballs

I always go with 93% lean ground beef, but use whatever kind you want–even do a meat of beef and pork or ground sausage. Consider this recipe a template. Mix it up, switch out or increase seasonings, whatever.

Bready or Not Original: Easy Italian Meatballs

These are great with all kinds of dishes, too. Use them with the standard spaghetti or other Italian pasts, or on zoodles, or with sauce on some submarine sandwich bread. They are even good heated up, eaten by themselves!

Print Recipe

Bready or Not Original: Easy Italian Meatballs

These gigantic meatballs are easy to make. If you want, form them early in the day and stash them in the fridge. Meatballs can also be frozen, cooked or cooked, and heated up later–and they can be taken straight from the freezer, too; just add a few more minutes to the cook time. This is also a great recipe to double to feed a crowd.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: beef, cheese
Servings: 8 meatballs
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • food scale
  • 9×13 dish or large rimmed baking pan

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for pan and hands
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups panko
  • 1/2 cup milk or water
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ounce Parmesan or Grana Padano, freshly grated, roughly 1/2 cup
  • 1 pound ground beef

Instructions

  • Move rack to top third of oven and start to preheat at 425-degrees. Rub or brush a 9×13 casserole pan or rimmed baking sheet with oil.
  • In a large bowl, use a big spoon to mash together the 2 Tablespoons oil, eggs, panko, liquid, salt, pepper, seasoning, garlic powder, and cheese. The goal is to create a smooth paste. Add a handful of meat. Mix in, and gradually drop in the rest of the meat to thoroughly combine.
  • Use a food scale to weigh the meat, then divide that total by 8 (or any other desired increment). With oiled hands, press together meatballs, weighing each to create ones of equal size.
  • Bake meatballs for 20 minutes. Use a metal spatula to carefully flip over each for the browned-bottom is on top. Bake for another 6 to 10 minutes, until meatballs are fully browned. An instant read thermometer plunged into one should read over 160-degrees.
  • Serve as desired. Leftovers are great to refrigerate or freeze.

OM NOM NOM!