Bake Italian Meatballs

Italian meatballs are a hearty addition to a variety meals. There are many different recipes and out there and, often, people struggle with finding the right one for them. Here is a classic recipe for baked Italian meatballs that can also be used to make Cormier style meatloaf with the simple change of how you shape the meat before baking it.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup of milk or cream
• 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs (plain or Italian-style)
• 1 small minced onion or 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup of Romano or Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil or cooking spray
• Oregano or Italian seasoning (to taste, approximately 1 teaspoon)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2/3 cups of Ketchup (for the Cormier style meatloaf option)

Steps

Making Meatballs

1. Preheat the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
2. Prepare the breadcrumbs. In a shallow dish, combine the milk and the breadcrumbs. Let the mixture sit until the milk is fully absorbed, which should take about 5 minutes.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic. In a sauté pan, heat up some olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Continue stirring in the pan until the onion turns slightly brown.
   • Alternatively, you can simply add onion powder and garlic powder.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix the breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, meat, salt, pepper, oregano or Italian seasoning, cheese, and egg together in a casserole dish or another type of deep pan and stir thoroughly.
5. Make the meatball form. Roll the mixture into meatballs that are about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) thick. They should fit nicely in the palm of your hand, so you can use your hands to make the ball shape by rolling the mixture between your two palms.
6. Prepare the baking sheet. Spray a baking sheet or cookie sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. Make sure you hit the corners. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet at about 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals.
7. Bake the meatballs. Put the baking sheet with the meatballs in the oven for 20- 30 minutes. Cook them until the meatballs are brown and lightly crisped all over.
8. Check that the meat is done. If you have a meat thermometer, insert it in the center of a meatball; it should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) when the meat is done cooking.

Making Meatloaf-Cormier Style

1. Preheat the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
2. Prepare the breadcrumbs. In a shallow dish, combine the milk and the breadcrumbs. Let the mixture sit until the milk is fully absorbed, which should take about 5 minutes.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic. In a sauté pan, heat up some olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Continue stirring in the pan until the onion turns slightly brown.
   • Alternatively, you can simply add onion powder and garlic powder.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix the breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, meat, salt, pepper, oregano or Italian seasoning, cheese, egg, and 1/3 cup of ketchup together in a casserole dish or another type of deep pan and stir thoroughly.
5. Make the meatloaf form. Spray or grease a casserole dish and smear 1/3 cup of ketchup along the sides and bottom of the dish. Pour the meatloaf mixture into the casserole dish and smooth the top.
6. Bake the meatloaf. Put the meatloaf in the oven for 45-60 minutes. Cook until the meatloaf is brown and lightly crisped all over.
7. Check that the meat is done. If you have a meat thermometer, insert it in the middle of the loaf; it should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) when the meat is done cooking.

Tips

• You can cook meatballs in a skillet if you don't want to wait for the oven to heat up. Cook them in batches of 4 to 5.
• Add some ingredients - try red peppers or chopped jalapenos.
• Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop for uniformly sized meatballs.
• This recipe can also be made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Orange Citrus Steak Sauce
• Cook French Beef Stew
• Make Beef Stew Subs
• Prepare Fillet of Beef Wellington
• Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Make Biltong (South African Beef Jerky)
• Make Vegan Irish Stew
• Make Momos
• Make Milanesa
• Tell if Ground Beef Has Gone Bad

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