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A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett

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February 22, 2021

How to make easy weeknight meatballs

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Classic Italian meatballs with parmesan cheese are pure comfort food, but they aren’t exactly weeknight friendly. These easy weeknight meatballs will give you all the flavors you’re craving in a fraction of the time. Like my Thai turkey meatballs, these are great for leftovers the next day.

easy weeknight meatballs in tomato sauce with fresh parsley and cheese

A quick bake in a hot oven ensures the meatball is tender inside and nicely browned outside. Because they are baked and not fried, there are no greasy splatters to clean up.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Beef meatballs for busy weeknights

Meatballs are one of our favorite go-to dinners. I often make a double batch of these baked chicken meatballs so I can stash half of them in the freezer for later.

These meatballs freeze well too, so I encourage you to make a double batch for those days when you need a jump start on dinner.

beef meatballs in white bowl with tomato sauce and parsley

You can swap out ground turkey for the beef to make baked turkey meatballs to save a few calories.

What these meatballs are: a quick, stripped down version of Nonna’s Sunday dinner version. What they are not: Meatballs that simmer all day in a pot of Sunday gravy.

How to make meatballs

The first step is to add everything except for the ground beef and the olive oil to a bowl.

Use a heavy duty rubber spatula to mix everything together until it is uniform.

step by step photos for making meatballs

Add in half of the meat and mix it until it is mostly incorporated. It’s easier to work in the breadcrumb mixture with half of the beef and then add in the other half.

Finally, mix in the remaining ground beef until the mixture looks fairly uniform. Use a 2 ounce scoop to portion meatballs – you should have about 10.

Rolling meatballs

Oil a half sheet pan and lightly oil your hands. Using light pressure, roll the meatballs until they are round and place them on the baking sheet.

rolled meatballs ready for the oven

Try not to use too much presure when you are rolling. You don’t want really dense meatballs.

Another favorite around here are these Greek chicken meatballs. They are great for meal-prepping with a bit of orzo or veggies.

Easy weeknight meatballs

These are done in roughly 40 minutes from start to finish – including rolling time. If you have an extra set of hands to roll meatballs, even less.

They are easy enough to handle after a workday.

sprinkling cheese on meatballs

Sprinkle them generously with finely grated parmesan and maybe a bit of gooey mozzarella. You can serve them with your favorite homemade or jarred tomato sauce.

meatballs in tomato sauce with mozz and parm

We had them with a bit of bucatini pasta and roasted broccoli for dinner one night. Then, we each ate two meatballs and sauce the next day for an afternoon snack!

One of my personal favorites for quick weeknight dinners are these lamb meatballs. They are delicious tucked into a pita with a little hummus.

No matter how you serve them, meatballs are always a hit.

If you are serving them with pasta, consider a dollop of ricotta cheese with them. It’s a delicious combination with the meat and tangy tomato sauce.

There you have it, friends. A delicious and easy weeknight recipe that will feed the whole family and possibly provide leftovers the next day.

I really hope you love this recipe. If you make it, snap a pic and share it with me either in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group or on Instagram by tagging @pookspantry and using hashtag #pookspantry.

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Yield: 10 meatballs

How to make easy weeknight meatballs

How to make easy weeknight meatballs

Easy weeknight meatballs will give you all the flavors you're craving in a fraction of the time.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp. (Diamond Crystal) kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper - a few grinds of the peppermill
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
  • 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C / Gas mark 7.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together egg, panko, milk, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, basil, parmesan and parsley (if using).
  3. Add in half of the ground beef and stir to mix until almost incorporated.
  4. Add remaining beef and mix, until mixture is fairly uniform.
  5. Using a 2 ounce scoop (or a 1/4 cup), portion out meatballs until all the mixture is used.
  6. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil and make sure it is evenly coated.
  7. Lightly oil your hands and using light pressure, roll into round meatballs and place on oiled baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn over and bake for 5 more minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite sauce.

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled and I highly encourage it!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife
    Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife
  • 2 oz. Scoop, Portion Control - Yellow Handle, Stainless Steel, Met Lux 
    2 oz. Scoop, Portion Control - Yellow Handle, Stainless Steel, Met Lux 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

2 meatballs

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 517mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 16g

Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Cheryl Bennett
Cuisine: Italian-American / Category: Dinner

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!

Filed Under: Beef/Pork/Poultry, Dinner Tagged With: meatballs

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