Basic Meatball Recipe
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (preferably from an Italian store)
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch Italian Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table
- Add that something special (cubed mozzarella for stuffing, 1/2 cup chopped caramelized onions, 1/4 cup minced toasted pinenuts and marinated olives, or whatever you can dream up)
- 1/2 pound ground beef (80/20) or use ground chicken or turkey
- 1/2 pound ground pork or use ground chicken or turkey
- olive oil to spray or fry meatballs
Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and cover it with the chicken broth. Let it sit until the breadcrumbs have soaked up the liquid. Transfer the breadcrumbs into a large bowl squeezing out any excess chicken broth.
Discard the extra chicken broth. In the large bowl combine the egg, garlic, salt, parsley, cheese, and that something special if you want to reinvent this dish, and mix until well combined. Add in the beef and combine again until the mixture is well blended but not overblended.
Form into 1.5 to 2 oz meatballs.
To Fry, add enough olive oil to generously coat a large skillet and fry the meatballs on medium heat until golden brown.
To Bake, preheat the oven to 375F and place the meatballs on a sheet plan. Spray or brush with olive oil and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Place the cooked meatballs in sauce and let them steep for 20 minutes before serving.