Meatballs, My Way

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balsamic vinegar, cooking, easy recipes, fast cooking, food, meat balls, meatballs, quick meals, recipes, yummy

Disclaimer:  I make no claim that my meatballs are superior.  There are THOUSANDS of mothers, aunts, grandmas, and great-uncle Petes out there who do a much better job, I’m sure.   

 

But these are meatballs my way.  And my way means quick and easy.

Begin with a pound of beef–ooh, sorry I thought the green bowl would be pretty, but it’s actually rather atrocious.

 

To that, add about a teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper,  1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground thyme.  And a sprinkle or two of dried minced onions if you like.

 

Normally, my cooking philosophy is that if you know what your spices taste like and you like that flavor, use as much as you like. I frequently up the garlic in recipes. In this recipe, however, I think the thyme can become overpowering so I use sparingly.

I also add about a quarter cup of breadcrumbs (keep ’em in the freezer to stay fresh). 

 

Now the fun part?  Mix it together with the best tools God gave us–your hands.  And roll them into balls.  I make mine about as big as a chocolate chip cookie ball.  Probably equivilant to two Tablespoons. 

 

Heat a little oil up to med-high.  Any oil is fine, no need to use the expensive extra virgin olive oil; save that for when the flavor is going to be a major player.

 

Now everybody into the pool!

Drop them into the hot oil and let them brown on one side. 

Then roll ’em over to brown the other side.

Remove to serving bowl.

 

Let’s make some sauce, too.  Turn the heat waaaayyy down.  Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour into the oil and whisk to combine.    Add a dash of salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme (just not too much). 

Then pour in about a cup of milk.   Drizzle in a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.  This is another one of those ingredients that is a bit strong for my kiddos, but brings a lot to the dish. 

 

When the sauce begins to thicken just a little, pour it over the meatballs and serve.  I apologize for not having a picture, but the Man of the House and the girls were begging me to stop taking pictures and feed them already.

 

Sometimes, when I’m a bit lazy, I’ll just use a can of cream of mushroom soup for the sauce.  Mix in a little milk and a splash of balsamic to finish it off.

Meatballs, The Recipe