Jen’s Incredible Baked Meatballs
I have recipes everywhere…a shelfful of cookbooks, two boxes with recipe cards, and countless pages torn from magazines, newspapers…and so many slips of paper with my own hand-written notes that I scratch out as I create in the kitchen. Amidst all the recipes, I return often to the gems given to me by my friend, Jen. Like me, she acquired many of her best dishes from her grandmother and she also likes to experiment with new recipes.
This meatball recipe reduces mess–and fat–by baking the meatballs instead of pan-frying. Parmesan and panko add great flavor and texture. Make them ahead and simmer all day with Basic Marinara sauce (your favorite store bought works, too…click on photo of sauce jar for my recipe) in a crock pot set on low. Or heat on the stove as you are boiling water for pasta.
Tip #1: Double the batch and freeze half to serve later as mini meatloaves. Or reheat with sauce, top with cheese and make into a mean meatball sandwich.
Jen’s Incredible Baked Meatballs
1 pound hamburger, grass-fed if desired
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced or grated (1/2 a large onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golfball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Tip #2: If you have a leftover piece of rind from the Parmesan, let it simmer in the crock pot with the marinara sauce or save for another soup recipe. This will add a great flavor boost to most any sauce or soup.
The Fountain Avenue Kitchen was my grandmother’s kitchen, the kitchen where I first pulled up a stool and watched the magic of turning basic, fresh ingredients into culinary wonders. Through today’s Fountain Avenue Kitchen, I hope to inspire people to try a new recipe, learn a new technique and eat more vegetables and wholesome grains ... but still enjoy a little dessert now and then. Pull up your chair and join me in the Fountain Avenue Kitchen!
A, these meatballs are seriously,….THE BOMB. so deliciously good! Thank you, thank you. So easy to make and I doubled the recipe thankfully bc they ROCK!
You are very welcome and I am so glad they were a hit! I am always happy to have some of these on hand, too! In fact, I think I am due to make them soon: )
Soo good thank you
You are welcome, Armando. Glad you liked them!
So I tried this last night and they were DELICIOUS but then when I took them out of the oven, after following the recipe, my meatballs came out as half meatballs. The bottoms had flattened out and stuck to the baking sheet. How can I fix this?
That is really interesting, Nina, and I am trying to figure out why that may have happened. Do you know the fat content of the ground beef you used? Perhaps the fat content was high and much of it cooked out, causing the meatballs to seemingly shrink. I typically use beef that is anywhere between 85 and 90% lean. I hope this is helpful!
I am an American of Italian decent. I have never heard of putting oregano in a meatball. Maybe I will try this in a half recipe, just to make sure we like it with the oregano.
Yes, you can do a taste test and see which way you like best! Oregano can be pungent, but this small amount does not overpower. Hope you enjoy!
Anyone know the best way to store parmesan cheese? Also can you freeze it?
I store Parmesan in the refrigerator where it will keep for over a month if wrapped well, Allisan. It is fine to freeze it, too.
The meatballs are great. Thank you. Do you have a good marinara sauce recipe you can share? Can’t seem to get mine just right.
Hi Ruth,
I am thrilled you liked them! Here is a recipe for a basic marinara that we really enjoy. I often freeze a couple of portions for two recipes which are linked on the recipe page. Having the sauce on hand makes for some easy and creative dinners. Here is the sauce link:
http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/basic-marinara/