MAKE-AHEAD SHEET-PAN MEATBALLS

Make-Ahead Sheet-Pan Meatballs image

This is the simplest way to make a large batch of meatballs that you can turn into a variety of dinners, from pasta to soup to sandwiches. Stash them in the freezer so they're ready to cook at a moment's notice.

Provided by Anna Stockwell

Categories Meatball Bread Milk/Cream Ground Beef Sausage Egg Parmesan Small Plates Sunday Stash Freezer Food Freeze/Chill Dinner Kid-Friendly Back to School Sheet Pan

Yield Makes about 75

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

2 cups coarsely torn white sandwich bread (from 2-3 slices)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 lb. ground beef
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan
2 tsp. kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil (for greasing)

Steps:

Place bread in a large bowl, pour milk over, and let sit until moistened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze bread with your hands to remove excess milk; discard milk. Tear bread into pea-size pieces and return to bowl.
Add beef, sausage, eggs, Parmesan, and salt to bread. Using your hands, gently mix until evenly distributed (do not overmix).
To serve immediately:
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 500°F. Lightly coat three 18x13" rimmed baking sheets with oil. Fill a small bowl with cool water. Moisten your hands and roll meat mixture between palms into ping pong-size balls (about 1.5" diameter; 1.2 oz. each), occasionally moistening hands as needed. Arrange meatballs 1/2" apart on prepared sheets.
Roast meatballs, rotating racks top to bottom once halfway through, until lightly browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
To freeze to serve later:
Line two 18x13" rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Fill a small bowl with cool water. Moisten your hands and roll meat mixture between palms into ping pong-size balls (about 1.5" diameter; 1.2 oz. each), occasionally moistening hands as needed. Arrange meatballs 1/4" apart on prepared sheets. Freeze on sheets until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 3 months.
To cook meatballs from frozen, preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Transfer desired amount of frozen meatballs to prepared sheet and roast, turning once halfway through, until lightly browned and cooked through, 10-12 minutes.