Meatballs from Heaven

Made meatballs last night. Amazing meatballs. Ken said they're the best he's ever had. Glad I made a double batch and froze most of them. Super easy and really good.... although definitely not fat-free. We at them as spaghetti & meatballs, but they'd be perfect for any cold winter night -- after a long day skiing, working hard in the yard, while tailgating at a football game, etc. (Read: make these, you won't regret it)

MEATBALLS WITH PARSLEY AND PARMESAN
(modified from recipe of same name on epicurious)

Try these flavorful meatballs on their own, in a tomato sauce or in a submarine sandwich.

4 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh French breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound hot italian sausage

Stir eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add ground beef & sausage and mix thoroughly. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs.

Over medium-low heat, cook one meatball first... taste it and adjust seasoning if necessary. Working in batches, add meatballs to pan (I used a cast iron skillet) and panfry until browned on all sides. At this point, you can cook them all the way (around 15 min) or remove them after they're browned to a raised wire cooling rack to allow any leftover grease to drip from meatballs. (Note: I did not fully cook meatballs since they would finish cooking in the spaghetti sauce. Also, since I was freezing most of them, I knew they'd be reheated later and didn't want them to overcook).

Once cool, transfer the meatballs to be frozen to a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or aluminum foil. Arrange in single layer and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a ziploc bag(s).

Makes about 44.

Bon Appétit
June 1996
Gayle Gardner: Albuquerque, New Mexico