Meat Balls

This is the meatball recipe that I keep losing. Hopefully by putting it into a blog, I will always be able to find it. Also it will be easy to give to my friends.

This recipes is very versatile so with 4 pounds of ground beef and a few other ingredients, you could put 4 meals into the freezer. Homemade and waiting for you on a busy day.

In my healthy cooking class, I am known as the Freezer Queen because every time we try a new recipe, I always ask if we can freeze it.

This recipe was published in Women's Day in their 4/1/99 issue. I have cooked this recipe numerous times over the years. I love having the meatball living in the freezer just waiting to treat Larry to his favorite, Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Follow these directions and the time consuming part of 4 dinners (each serves 4) will be out of the way. You'll have a versatile cooked ground beef mixture, ready-to-heat meatballs and a meat loaf that's delicious either hot or cold.

1. To begin: Mix 4 pound lean ground beef, 2 cups chopped onions, 4 tsp minced garlic and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Take off your rings and get your hands into it to mix it good. Lots of fun.
2. Then make: Browned Ground Beef. Place half the meat mixture (5 packed cups) in a 5-qt dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat 7 minutes, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Drain; cool slightly, then pack flat in two gallon-size freezer bags (3 cups spooned into each). Freeze up to 4 months.
3. To remaining uncooked meat mixture, add 1 1/2 cups seasoned dried bread crumbs. {I have started using day old bread with an Italian spice mixture instead}. 3/4 cup milk and 1 large egg. Mix well. Divide in half (3 1/4 cups per batch). Heat oven to 375F. Line 2 jelly roll pans with foil; coal with non-stick cooking spray. Shape 1 batch into 12 meatballs {I generally make more of smaller meatballs. Often, I shape all the mixture into meatballs and skip the meatloaf} and place in 1 prepared pan. Put other batch in other pan and shape into a 7 x 3 1/2-in loaf.
4. To finish: Place both pans in oven. Bake Meatballs 25 minutes until cooked through; Meat Loaf 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in center of loaf registers 160F. Cool, then pack Meatballs flat in a gallon-size freezer bag. Wrap Meat Loaf in plastic wrap, then tightly in foil. Freeze up to 4 months.

Recipes to use the prepared meats.

• Speedy Spaghetti and Meatballs. Thaw 12 frozen Meatballs. Cook 12 oz. spehetti in a large pot of lightly salted water as directed on package; drain. While pasta cooks put 2 cups bottled marinara sauce and the Meatballs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes or until heated through. T0ss with speghetti. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
• Meatball Straganoff. Thaw 12 frozen meatballs in a large nonstick skillet, saute' 16 oz. sliced mushrooms in 2 tsp butter until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add a 12 oz. jar beef gravy, 1/2 cup water and the Meatballs. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup each reduced-fat sour cream and sliced scallions. Serve over egg noodles. Serves 4.

More uses for thawed meatballs

1. Soups. Add to minestrone, chicken noodle or bean soups. Cover and heat through.
2. Italian Hero Sandwiches. Heat meatballs in bottled marinara sauce and spoon into split rolls. Top with shredded mozzarella and/or grated Parmesan cheese.
3. Pizza. Top takeout frozen or homemade pizza with heated sliced Meatballs.