Sunday Meatballs

Recipe by Carol Tarbet and Ashley Neff, DFM Board Member

---

With ingredients that come together so effortlessly and a cooking process that’s simple yet satisfying, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your home. It’s the kind of dish that fills the house with irresistible smells and leaves everyone asking for seconds. Plus, the leftovers freeze beautifully, so you’ll have a delicious meal ready to go whenever you need it. Gather your loved ones, get your hands a little messy, and enjoy the rich flavors of this Sunday tradition.

SERVES: 10+ AND FREEZES WELL

TIME:   45 MINUTES

---

Ingredients

1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk

5 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut off and torn into postage-stamp sized pieces

⅓ cup milk (2% or whole preferred)

2 lbs. ground beef

¾ cup freshly grated

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 Tbsp. white or yellow onion, minced

4 - 5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 and ¼ tsp. table salt

¾ tsp. ground black pepper

¾ tsp. ground oregano

Optional

I-2 Tbsp. minced parsley and/or basil

Serving

A big pot of your favorite marinara sauce (homemade or grab some jars from the market), spaghetti, and extra Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place bread in bowl. Add milk and eggs and let sit a few minutes until the bread is soppy. Mash and beat the mixture with a fork until the bread is completely broken down.

Add other ingredients and mix well to combine. Don’t be afraid to use your hands!

Place aluminum foil on two full-size rimless baking sheets.

Coat your hands with a generous amount of olive oil.

Use your hands to form approximately one-inch meatballs, rolling the mixture between well-oiled hands and placing the meatballs one inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Re-apply olive oil to hands as needed.

Bake meatballs one sheet at a time for 25-30 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, heat sauce on the stove. After all meatballs are done baking, transfer them into the sauce to warm through.

Cook a pound of spaghetti for every five people al dente in tour quarts of salted water. Drain pasta and immediately toss with a couple of cups of sauce.

Serve additional sauce and meatballs over spaghetti with extra Parmesan on top.

---

Notes

You will have more meatballs than needed for a pound of pasta. You can halve the recipe if serving ~five people, but we find it’s worthwhile to make a larger batch and freeze extra meatballs (in sauce) for a later dinner. Pick up some salad greens and fresh bread from the market to accompany the main dish. Our family tradition also involves sautéing hot banana peppers in olive oil with salt and pepper and serving those on the side.