Easy Oven Meatballs

Submitted by thatbobbiegirl

"I never could get the hang of making spaghetti and meatballs without it becoming spaghetti with meat sauce. Every time I tried to cook meatballs in a frying pan they just crumbled into bits. It was embarrassing. I was so glad when my Dad showed me how to do this. This is a simple recipe for making meatballs in the oven, and a few ideas how to use them. Once baked, you can freeze the meatballs individually on a cookie sheet, then toss into freezer bags for later use. Just pull out whatever amount you'll need to feed the crew. Don't be scared about the lengthy instructions. The end bits are ideas for using the finished meatballs. And you know how I like to ramble ;-)"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 96 meatballs

ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 eggs or 8 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons salt (optional)
• 6 slices bread, crumbled (white or wheat, its good with both)
• 3 3 lbs ground turkey or 3 lbs ground pork (or any combination)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine milk, onion, eggs and salt.
3. Stir in bread crumbs and let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Crumble in the ground meat, and mix thoroughly with your hands.
5. Threaten to touch someone with your gross meat-covered hands (optional).
6. Shape into 8 dozen small meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
7. Place on baking pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done- if you're not sure, cut one in half to check.
8. If you don't have enough oven space or baking pans to bake all of this at once, please put the remaining raw meat mixture in the refrigerator until you can bake it.
9. Let's be careful out there.
10. Of course, using lean meat is the healthiest, but if the meat you're using is particularly fatty, I have found that baking the meatballs on a rack placed over a broiler pan or other shallow pan will allow most of the fat to drip away.
11. If you do this, it's best to put a little water in the bottom of the pan or the fat may start to smoke.
12. I do this in the oven, not the broiler.
13. If you do try broiling meatballs, let me know how it turns out, for you are braver than I.
14. MEATBALLS TO DIE FOR- This is an idea my husband came up with.
15. Put your already baked meatballs in a baking dish.
16. The more shallow the pan, the shorter time this will need to bake.
17. Now, take a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a can of cream of shrimp soup.
18. Mix them together, and add about 1/2 cup milk, just enough to let you mix it smoothly.
19. Pour the soup mixture over the meatballs evenly.
20. Bake this at 350 for about an hour.
21. You want the sauce to get real thick and rich.
22. We usually serve this over rice, but it can go over noodles or mashed potatoes, or on bread or a roll for a hot sandwich.
23. I have also made it in a crockpot, cooking it on low for about 8 hours.
24. Cooking on high turns this to mush.
25. Still tastes good, but not pretty for serving to guests.
26. This dish has been taken to many potlucks and served to guests numerous times, and there has never once been any leftovers-- so I can't say how it tastes re-heated!
27. OTHER IDEAS Of course, it goes without saying (but I sometimes tend to state the obvious) that these are a perfectly easy way to make spaghetti and meatballs.
28. Make your sauce (or open the jar) and gently heat the meatballs with the sauce.
29. Using that same sauce, or using pizza sauce, or barbecue sauce, serve the meatballs on Hoagie/Submarine/Poorboy/Grinder8Ô (Insert Appropriate Regional Term Here) Rolls, with sauce and cheese of your choice.
30. Heat in a sweet and sour sauce and serve on toothpicks as hors d'oerve (horse doovers?) or over steamed rice.
31. A friend of mine used to make a simple barbecue sauce by mixing a jar of currant jelly with a bottle of chili sauce.
32. Warm meatballs in this mixture, or use my Bobbie-Q Sauce recipe, and serve over in sandwich rolls, or over hot cooked rice, potatoes or noodles.
33. On a hors d'oerve buffet, you can serve plain hot meatballs with an assortment of sauces for dipping.
34. Provide toothpicks and small plates.
35. As you can see, Easy Oven Meatballs in your freezer mean quick and easy meals!
36. You'll come up with plenty more ideas to use these versatile, mildly seasoned morsels.

Reviews

[Lanjelin]

Just a tip for those who end up with soft meatballs that cant be shaped into balls. There is an order to which you mix your meatballs.<br/>1. Add salt because it binds any moisture in the meat. mix the salt in really good.<br/>2. Add the eggs and mix well.<br/>3. Add the breadcrumbs that has swelled in milk and any spices.<br/><br/>This is how we do it in Sweden

 

[RFJ8195]

I'm sorry but, these just didn't turn out the right consistency for me. They were more like meatWADS than meatBALLS. There was no way of shaping these into anything resembling a ball - or anything for that matter. I think it was too much milk and/or too soft of bread. I just used the generic white bread we buy at the store. I think if I made them with a heartier bread they might be better. Flavor is very good, though! I ended up serving these (so far) with some butternut squash & ricotta pasta and I think they are simple enough of seasoning you could do almost anything with them (Italian, mexican, teriyaki, swedish - endless possibilities).

 

[evewitch]

I found these kind of plain and a bit bready. My husband thought they were ok at first, but the breadiness must have been exacerbated by freezing, because after they were thawed he tasted it too. I did use hot dog buns instead of real bread, so I won't give stars in case that was the problem. (Otherwise, I would have to give 2*.)

 

[Alyssa5366]

Thank you!! I absolutely LOVE these meatballs and they are so easy to make! I'm making them for my Dad for Father's Day. I make these all the time for my family, and now it's kind of like our tradition for me to make these every once in a while. I am 12 years old and if I can do it than I'm pretty sure any adult can! Again, thank you so much for this recipe!!

 

[NutritionGirly]

These were simple to make & very, very good. I will say that they tasted like meatloaf-balls but I didn't mind that. It was a tasty "canvas" that soaked up the flavors of the sauces in the other dishes that I used them in. I made one batch, froze some and have used for a few dinners. They are REALLY good in the meatballs & orzo (recipe 268616) my fav, but I have also used them for regular spaghetti & enjoyed them very much.