Best Meatball Factory Recipes

THE MEATBALL SHOP'S CLASSIC BEEF MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 450F
• Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface
• Set aside
• Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated
• Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly
• Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid
• The meatballs should be touching one another
• Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through
• A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165F
• While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often
• When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan
• Pour the tomato sauce over them
• Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 15 minutes
• For the Classic Tomato Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
• Add the onions, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes
• Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 5 minutes
• Add the tomatoes and stir constantly until the sauce begins to boil
• Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent the sauce on the bottom of the pot from burning
• Taste and season with additional salt, if desired
• Remove the bay leaf before serving

THE OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY'S MEATBALLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine chopped onion, garlic, parsley and bread crumbs in a food processor and mix 30 seconds. Break the egg into a 3-quart bowl and mix well using a wire whisk. Add water, olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the egg and whisk until well whisked. Add the bread crumb mixture, combining with a spatula. Add the ground meat and mix thoroughly until ingredients are well distributed and the mixture is binding together tightly. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop out a portion onto a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan. Form each meatball by rolling in the palm of your hand until they feel tight and solid. (The finished meatballs should be about the size of a golf ball.) Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and place in the oven. Time 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and loosen with a spatula. Return to the oven an additional 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain. Heat the tomato sauce in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and simmer 2 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice. This recipe yields ?? servings.

SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix ingredients thoroughly by hand or with kitchen aid with paddle attachment.
• Roll into balls, 2-3 ounces each.
• Bake at 250° until internal temperature is 165° (about 45 minutes).
• Another option is to pan fry in olive oil for a crispier, more browned exterior.

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• Yield: 2 quarts

QUICK AND SIMPLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine eggs, water, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic and seasonings; mix well. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place meatballs on greased racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered, until no longer pink, 15-18 minutes. , Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatballs in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in the microwave.