Homemade Meatballs

Name: Homemade Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3/4 lb ground beef; 3/4 lb ground pork; 3/4 lb ground veal; 1/8 cup dried parsley; 1 slice french bread (torn into small pieces, no crust (any white bread works fine)); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 egg; 1 egg white; 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

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Homemade meatballs are easy to fix and baked in the oven. These are the perfect, made from scratch meatballs. Just combine a few simple ingredients for a meatball as good as any you'll find in a restaurant. Serve with a big plate of pasta and plenty of sauce.

Meatballs on top spaghetti and sauce, with cheese garnish. — The most perfect pairing right there! Meatballs on top of spaghetti. Dig in.

Ingredients to Have on Hand

ground beef, pork and veal
parmesan cheese
dried parsley
eggs
french bread - one slice

Ground veal is just an option, but it gives the meatballs exceptional flavor. The meatballs are also delicious using equal portions of ground beef and ground pork.

Cooked meatballs on a baking sheet. — Sizzling hot and oven-baked, these meatballs are the perfect addition to your favorite red sauce.

Blend Meat with Eggs

I use one egg and one egg white to help tighten up the meatballs, but you can use two whole eggs and have very similar results. I just like the lighter texture that comes from using an egg white rather than two eggs.

Raw ingredients in a bowl. — The perfect mix of meats, a little cheese and spices. Maybe I should rename these, easy meatballs.

How do you make meatballs so they don't fall apart?

We can thank the slice of french bread that we crumble into the meat for holding it all together. That along with the eggs (one whole and one egg white) help bind the meat together so your homemade meatball maintains it's shape and distinctive texture.

A scoop of raw meat, using an ice cream scoop — Make all of the meatballs the same size. It's easy to do using an ice cream scoop. I find making each meatball about the size of a golf ball is just about perfect.

Shape the Meatballs

It's important that your homemade meatballs are the same size, remember we'll be baking them in the oven and we want them all cooked at the same time. I highly recommend using an ice cream scoop to round up each meatball. Just about the size of a golfball is perfect.

Twelve baked meatballs on a pan — Bake the meatballs on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. I've tried using aluminum foil, but find the parchment paper makes for an easier clean-up.

Made from Scratch and Fast

It's easy to think that made from scratch meatballs are too much work, but be assured these are so easy. These cook fast, in less than 30 minutes and bring out the best in your favorite red sauce, even jarred and store bought!

Homemade Red Sauce

Speaking of red sauce, I think you'll love my scratch-made Tomato-Cream Sauce. It comes together really fast and is stellar with this meatball recipe.

More Dinner Ideas

Here are more ideas for scratch made, fast dinners. Just like Homemade Meatballs, these recipes are on the table in an hour or less:

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