My "Secret" Meatballs and Sauce
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 15
Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef, lean2 large eggs1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs1 cup chopped onions9 cloves minced garlic, divided (DH says can never have too much)5 tsp Italian herb seasoning, or to taste, divided4 Tbsp ground oregano, or to taste, divided2 28-oz jars Hannaford low-sodium tomato & basil pasta sauce (or your favorite jarred sauce for a base)1 green pepper, chopped4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Put meat, eggs, bread crumbs, onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 2 Tbsp of oregano in a large bowl. Take off any rings you have that will get meat mix stuck in them! (Trust me on this!) The only way to thoroughly mix the meatballs is to do it with your hands until you have a uniform texture and color to the meat. Roll meat into whatever size meatballs your family perfers. I do mine about an inch and a half around. Roll all the meatballs before you start to cook them (unless you have help in the kitchen, then you can start while someone else is rolling. I'm OC about the size of them, so I prefer to do it myself! LOL!)
Pour both jars of sauce into a large sauce pan or stock pot (remembering you have two pounds of meatballs to add to it). Add remaining garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, and the green pepper, and put it on low to start warming up.
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides, NOT cooking them all the way through. They will not properly absorb the flavors of the sauce if they are too well done before they simmer. You will have to be patient and work them in batches, adding more oil if needed. (No, this is not an after-work-on-a-weeknight recipe!) As you finish them, you can add them to the sauce pan.
When all the meatballs are in, turn the heat up on the sauce to medium and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours, until sauce is the desired thickness. I usually start mine simmering a good four to five hours before time to serve. I have not yet tried these in my crock pot - I think it cooks too hot. But if someone tries it and likes it, I'd like to know.
Cook your favorite pasta according to package directions and serve.
One serving is two or three meatballs and about 2/3 a cup of sauce, so should easily feed fifteen, or freeze in serving sizes appropriate to your family.
Number of Servings: 15
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LEAKAY59.
Pour both jars of sauce into a large sauce pan or stock pot (remembering you have two pounds of meatballs to add to it). Add remaining garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, and the green pepper, and put it on low to start warming up.
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides, NOT cooking them all the way through. They will not properly absorb the flavors of the sauce if they are too well done before they simmer. You will have to be patient and work them in batches, adding more oil if needed. (No, this is not an after-work-on-a-weeknight recipe!) As you finish them, you can add them to the sauce pan.
When all the meatballs are in, turn the heat up on the sauce to medium and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours, until sauce is the desired thickness. I usually start mine simmering a good four to five hours before time to serve. I have not yet tried these in my crock pot - I think it cooks too hot. But if someone tries it and likes it, I'd like to know.
Cook your favorite pasta according to package directions and serve.
One serving is two or three meatballs and about 2/3 a cup of sauce, so should easily feed fifteen, or freeze in serving sizes appropriate to your family.
Number of Servings: 15
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LEAKAY59.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 296.8
- Total Fat: 18.4 g
- Cholesterol: 73.7 mg
- Sodium: 460.1 mg
- Total Carbs: 18.8 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
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