Old Fashioned Classic Italian Meatballs - Family Recipe

Sound the trumpets because I'm finally posting my 'go to' recipe for meatballs! This is an old family recipe that goes back 3 generations! So please read this entire post carefully! No skimming or you will miss all my 'meatball making wisdom' that I'm going to bestow on to you...*smiles*

The key to tasty meatballs is using the correct ratio of meat to other ingredients! If you increase the amount of meat, even by a forth, you will need to equally increase the amount of your other ingredients in the meatball mixture. If not, you will have bland meatballs...trust me! Also always use fresh, good quality ingredients such as fresh parsley (not dried), fresh grated cheese (not jarred), fresh garlic (also not jarred) and fresh unflavored (plain) breadcrumbs. I don't mean you need to make your own breadcrumbs. I just mean they need to not be expired or old. Yes, I'm an ingredient snob when it comes to this family meatball recipe! But it truly makes ALL the difference in the taste of these meatballs. And I always bake my meatballs instead of pan frying...just like my sweet Mother and Grandmother always did! Baking the meatballs is easier and healthier anyway! I know SOME Italians just throw the raw meatballs into their tomato sauce and let them cook with the sauce. YUK...boiled meatballs is not how we like them! I think wars have been started on this topic! But to each his own, I guess!

I use these meatballs in many recipes. After they're baked I add them to my homemade marinara sauce recipe. Then I'll make spaghetti and meatballs or meatball parmesan sandwiches. My favorite recipe to use these in is my Easy Lasagna Soup recipe
So, if you're a meatball fan like I am, give my family recipe a try! Hopefully this will become your 'go to' meatball recipe also!




Classic Italian Meatballs
makes 22 - 24 meatballs (walnut sized)

INGREDIENTS:
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk - I use low fat
2 TBLS. finely chopped fresh italian parsley, not curly leaf
1 lb. lean ground beef - I use 95% lean

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or greased tin foil.
Place the minced garlic on a cutting board and pour the salt on top.
Then using the flat side of a chef knife blade or the back of a spoon,
 mash the salt into the minced garlic until it forms a paste.
Put this garlic paste into a large mixing bowl and mix in the grated cheese,
breadcrumbs, pepper, milk and fresh italian parsley.
Mix well to combine.
Then add in the ground beef, mixing with your hands
 just until all ingredients are combined into the beef.
Then form into walnut sized balls. This recipe makes about 22 - 24 meatballs.
Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet leaving a small space in between each meatball.
Bake on middle rack, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or
until meatballs are nicely browned and well cooked. Serve plain or with tomato sauce.