Do you buy frozen meatballs just because you think making homemade meatballs is a hard, time-consuming process?
Making homemade meatballs takes minutes, not the hours you would expect. Better yet, they are an easy weeknight meal or an all-out crowd pleaser.
My Story
I have no idea at what point in my adult life I started making my own homemade meatballs.
What I do know is that I made the recipe up, based on how my mom made meatloaf. It made sense to my twenty-year-old self that meatballs were simply meatloaf rolled into balls.
What started as an easy, inexpensive way to feed my family has morphed into a tradition.
Even now, I continue to be surprised by the compliments I receive and how often someone requests I bring meatballs to a function.
To me, the meatballs I make are nothing spectacular and I’m pretty certain that the way I make them would give any authentic Italian grandma heart palpitations.
However, I continue to make them, my family continues to request them, and I continue to be surprised.
But because they are easy, easy, easy, I have no problem continuing the tradition.
Just make sure you have a few basic ingredients oh hand before you get started.
The ingredients
1 pound of ground beef
I typically use ground round which is 85% lean.
I want enough fat to add some flavor without making it greasy.
Someone, somewhere is going to wonder if you can use another ground meat, such as turkey. The honest answer is, I don’t know. The only thing you can do is try it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
1 Egg
An egg acts as a binder to hold all the ingredients together.
1/3 cup of Italian Breadcrumbs
Stick with Italian breadcrumbs and not basic breadcrumbs. Italian breadcrumbs come loaded with all kinds of good seasonings adding tons of flavor to the meatballs.
1/3 cup of Oats
Oats also act as a binder, as well as a juice absorber, keeping the meat soft and adding some extra fiber.
1 pack of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Onion Soup Mix, along with Italian breadcrumbs is the secret to a meatball packed with flavor.
1/8 cup of water
A little bit of water helps keep the meatballs juicy as they cook.
1 large jar of off-the-shelf spaghetti sauce
I do not make my own spaghetti sauce. Once upon a time I did and Brian told me to feel free to pay the money to buy it at the store!
I will tell you, that once you cook the meatballs in the sauce, the flavor of the sauce will change, making it taste like delicious homemade sauce.
Directions
Cover the bottom of a crock-pot with the spaghetti sauce.
Layer the meatballs in the crockpot and pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs.
Use enough sauce to completely cover the meatballs.
Cook on low for six hours.
That’s it. Easy peasy. Restaurant quality spaghetti and meatballs for any weeknight meal.
Need to feed a crowd?
It’s easy to double, triple, or quadruple the recipe. I’ve done it many times.
Would you like to make your own homemade meatballs but assume it’s a hard and time-consuming process?
Assume no more!
Making homemade meatballs is quick and easy. And best of all, the results are impressive!
No more excuses!
Micki’s Easy, Homemade Meatballs, Printable Recipe