Meatballs

By Babycatgrandma

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground meat (beef, pork, turkey)
• 2/3-1 c. cooked brown rice
• 2/3 c. tomato sauce or squash puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 2 cloves crushed garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) grated carrots or zucchini

Details

Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 70mins

Preparation

Step 1

Just mix everything together well, but don't overdo it (apparently this can make the meat tough). You may want to take care to sprinkle the seasonings over the meat evenly so you don't get a patch of straight cayenne, for example. If you make a double batch or more, which is a great idea, use your hands, with rings removed. Use your hands or a small ice cream scoop to make about 60 walnut-sized meatballs. Line a baking sheet or stone with parchment paper (these guys are messy) and bake at 375F about 20-30 minutes until no longer pink in the center. Serve with spaghetti sauce and pasta or veggies, stroganoff style gravy and mashed potatoes, teriyaki sauce and rice, etc. It's wonderful to have cooked meatballs in the freezer. To freeze, cool completely, then place in the freezer on a flat baking sheet. Once frozen, store individually in a zippered bag. To prepare: If using a sauce, the meatballs can go frozen directly into the sauce in a pot. By the time the sauce is hot, the meatballs will be ready to eat too. To bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator and bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or bake frozen meatballs 30 minutes. Once frozen and reheated, the meatballs can get a little dry and are best with some sort of sauce. Variations: The same meat mixture can make meatloaf, too. For directions, go here: http://bit.ly/9a6yht


Kimball, Katie (2013-01-20). Better Than a Box: How to Transform Processed Food Recipes into Whole Foods Favorites (real food cookbook) (Kindle Locations 2312-2319). Kitchen Stewardship, LLC. Kindle Edition.