The World's Best Meatball Recipe ( From my Mom!)

My Awesome Mom!

So my mom's meatballs are my favorite in the world. I know many other people feel the same way. I have never had a meatball that was better either in a restaurant or at someone's house.Growing up ( like many other Italian kids) my mom made meatballs every Saturday. I would wake up to the smell of meatballs that were being fried up with love. That would be my breakfast - and I loved it.  I thought this would be a great time to do some cooking with my mom and share her recipe with everyone that way you are able to make great meatballs like her. 

We had a great time making meatballs. We were watching my wedding video,dancing,singing,and of course she has none of this written down so I had to transcribe all of her nuances and directions. Without further ado- here is my Mom's famous meatball recipe...

My Mom’s Famous Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 ½ lbs of 85/15 ground beef ( if it  is over 85 they will be harder) room temperature

3 cloves grated garlic

1 egg

1 tsp dried or fresh parsley

1 tsp each of salt & pepper

1tsp garlic powder

4-5 slices of Italian bread

2 cups water

½ cup breadcrumbs ( add slowly and feel texture)

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Put oven to bake at 345 degrees

Put room temperature ground beef in a large bowl and add seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese.)

Take crusts off of Italian bread then soak in water in a bowl and let sit for 2 minutes. Strain bread in a strainer to get excess water out. This sounds gross people, but this makes them soft. Don’t skip this step!

Soaking the Bread

Straining it

Add bread and 1 egg to mixture and combine ingredients

Make sure contents are distributed

Add breadcrumbs and keep feeling mixture to make sure it is not toohard and somewhat wet. This is a feeling thing. No specific measurement. Make sure they aren't super loose or super firm.

 Take a small piece of the mixture, shape into a ball and fry or put into the microwave  and taste(to make sure seasonings are right.) If it is not perfect - season with whatever it needs.

Roll meatballs ( this made about 16-20) and fry or put in oven for 20 minutes. You do not have to cook them all the way through because we will be adding it to the sauce. 

After they are rolled put meatballs on a broiler pan (so fat can drain) and put in oven for 20 minutes.

Add meatballs to sauce to cook for another 30 minutes. Make sure meatballs are cooked before serving.

Adding a raw meatball kind of seems gross but...

My mom added 3 raw meatballs to her sauce ( she likes it) and it gives it more flavor. If that grosses you out you don’t have to do it. 

After 30 minutes of simmering the meatball will be done. Enjoy at a large feast or eat a few and freeze the rest. Yum!Her sauce recipe to come tomorrow!!

They are done!

Me & My mom!