Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is one of our all time favorite recipes! When I make meatballs from scratch, I usually double this recipe. Since I am already dirtying the pans, I might as well make double the amount and have some in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal. I am including the spaghetti sauce recipe that I use when I have time to make it from scratch, but these meatballs are awesome with your favorite store bought marinara as well!

Marinara Sauce
Ingredients

3 TBSP Olive Oil

3 Onions, finely chopped

4 TBSP jarred Minced Garlic

3 (28 oz) cans Crushed Tomatoes

3 TBSP dried Basil

3 TBSP dried Oregano

3 tsp Sugar

1.5 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Put Olive Oil in a pan and add Onion. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced Garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly so as not to burn the garlic. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and crushed red pepper. Simmer on low for several hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks the better!

Meatballs
Ingredients

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Onions, finely diced

1 TBSP jarred Minced Garlic

2 TBSP dried Parsley

1 Egg

3 Slices of bread, crust removed

1/4 cup milk

1 lbs Ground Chuck

1 lbs Ground Pork

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (Stuff in the green can)

Vegetable Oil For Frying Meatballs

Marinara Sauce (Recipe above)

Whole Milk Fresh Mozzarella

Parsley

Directions

Saute onions in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and parsley and saute for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Meanwhile place crust removed, sliced bread in a small bowl and pour milk on it. In a large bowl, add 2 eggs, pork, ground chuck, salt, pepper, Parmesan, cooled onion mixture and the bread that has been soaking in milk. Combine and roll into meatballs. We like smaller meatballs, so I usually get around 50 out of this mixture.
Using the same skillet you sauteed the onions in, heat up some Vegetable oil and brown the meatballs in batches. You do not have to cook them all the way through, just brown the outside. They will continue cooking in the oven. Next, remove the meatballs to drain on paper towels until I have browned the whole batch. Then, put a cup of marinara in the bottom of a 13×9 Pyrex dish. Put all of the meatballs in the pan and top with 2-3 cups more marinara. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil, and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with Parsley and serve warm! We eat these over spaghetti or in meatball subs. Enjoy!!!