crocuses

29 March 2016

Welcome friends. When I went to college, my parents separated and then divorced. They were both starting new lives while I was off at school. They both moved into smaller spaces, and I started staying with my grandparents during breaks in classes. I have a lot of great memories from this opportunity. It gave me the chance to get to know my grandparents and interact with them. Whenever I would visit, my grandmother would always ask if there was any dish that I wanted her to make. My answer was always the same. I asked her to make cabbage rolls. I tried to help her make them once, but she complained that I was making the meatballs too big. While this isn't a recipe for cabbage rolls, I often think of that experience when I am making this dish. I finally learned how to make mini meatballs.

This recipe has its roots in a recipe from Cooking Light. A few years ago, they published a collection of slow cooker recipes that I snatched up. Rather than using a slow cooker, I assemble these and bake them in the oven. It saves me time because I don't have to brown the meatballs in batches. They are small and they cook in about an hour. I have lots of leftovers with this dish too. When I first make these, I serve them with soft polenta and arugula. I also make meatball subs with some of the leftovers. There is a cheese store nearby that makes multi-grain bread and carries fresh mozzarella cheese.

These meatballs pair well with polenta, rice pilaf, and couscous. The sauce is slightly sweet. I tried them with pasta once, but they seemed a little off. I like to bake them in a 9 by 13 glass baking dish. I also like to combine a couple kinds of ground meat.

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Mini Meatballs

30 min. prep time | 1 hr bake time

mini meatball sub

Ingredients

makes about 32 meatballs

  • for the sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp anise seeds
  • pinch of saffron
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • for the meatballs
  • 1 lb ground sirloin
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cummin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions

preheat the oven to 375° F.

combine the ingredients for the sauce in a 9 by 13 glass baking dish and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

place the meats in a large bowl. Add the salt, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon and mix them together using your hands. Add the egg and knead this into the mixture with your hands until the egg is completely incorporated into the mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and knead the mixture again until the crumbs are incorporated.

form the meatballs and place them into the sauce.

bake for 30 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to turn the meatballs over in the sauce. Return them to the oven for another 30 minutes.