While enjoying a nice plate of whole wheat spaghetti with Emeril’s spicy spaghetti sauce on top, I realized it would be great if I had a freezer full of lean, healthy meatballs to roll out whenever I wanted some quick and tasty protein. Any of you have any good recipes for meatballs?
Also, how long would I want to have each batch in the freezer? That is, how long can you leave a meatball in a freezer before it starts tasting less good and/or making you sick?
Im not too sure about recipies, I think that youd best keep the fats down by avoiding extra sause (GB is fatty enough). Experiment with some spices.
However on your freezing question, as long as you put them in an airtight container like something from tuberware to prevent frezer burn they could stay there indefinately, ground beef freezes pretty well and keeps for LONG times.
-Jordo
Half ground beef, half ground pork, spices, fresh garlic, finley chopped onions, bread crumbs if you want.
Form into balls and bake on brown paper at 350 until they are cooked through. You can also pan fry them, but the oven gets nice and crispy as well.
Allow to cool completely and then put in ziplocks - make sure you suck all the air out.They’ll keep forever in the freezer.
I make them exactly as michelle posted (minus the pork meat and breadcrumbs). You can freeze them in airtight containers or ziploc bags. Another way is frozen along with the sauce in the freezer in airtight container. Then you thaw them both directly in a pot and simmer for a couple of hours.
Bull testicles. Available at your local butcher shop. Nature’s meatballs.
Arnold did it, why not you?
Oh, and if you are lucky enough to live near Utica, NY, Chanatries grocery store has a pork based meatball mix that is excellent. Many small butchers have premade mixes, usually meat and spices that have been gound together a few times.
I couldnt help but jump in here. I do pretty much same as michelle. Some type of protein that walks and makes noise, spices (usually Basil),an egg. This is where I differ. I add flax meal instead of bread. It has close to the same effect as the bread but adds less carbs and you get some of those 3’s I am always looking for.
OK I messed up the first time I posted this, this is my Grandmothers from Catania (Sicily), don’t let her know I am telling you:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg
mix the above, then add:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
Make sure to use your hands!
Roll them up rather large (about 8-10 meatballs). Fry them just enough to brown so they don’t fall apart, then throw them in your sauce to finish cooking.
I have never tried whole wheat breadcrumbs or flax, to me, meatballs (and meatloaf) is a splurge item (all the F+C+P at once) and needs to be done right 