Versatile and family-friendly
Meatballs are a perennial favorite, but their uses go way beyond spaghetti. You can toss them in soups, serve them on skewers with a variety of sauces or slide them between crusty poboy bread. They’re great with all sorts of ground meats including veal, lamb, pork, turkey, beef, sausage or chicken, and are further enhanced by different cheeses, bits of ham or prosciutto, pesto or fresh herbs. You can roll meatballs in breadcrumbs and pan-fry them in a skillet, or you can bake them on a cookie sheet to save calories. Meatballs in any form are appealing to kids and perfect for making ahead and freezing. Work them into the weeknight line-up and save yourself some time and grief.
I never really ate meatballs growing up. Pitiful, I know. My mom’s spaghetti meant vermicelli with meat sauce, while meatballs were something illusive found only in restaurants. Now in my own kitchen, I make meatballs all the time. I love them in spaghetti, but I also love making different versions to eat with dipping sauces or to incorporate in other recipes, especially Italian wedding soup below.
Texture is a big issue with meatballs. They’ll turn out dense and dry if you don’t incorporate certain ingredients, namely breadcrumbs or fresh bread, a little milk, egg and grated cheese.